The Legacy Storm
by The Knight of Thirteen
Summary: Ace is ready to set sail, determined to discover all the secrets the vast ocean is hiding. The islands that can't be found by log pose, the origins of the Devil's Fruit, and what lies beyond Raftel. Along the way he will find even more mysteries as he searches for answers. He is accompanied on his journey by the twin daughters of Robin and Zoro, as well as others he meets later on.
1. Trio Leaving Home

"Olivia, can you bring me that scalpel?" Doctor Kishitani called over his shoulder. He waited a moment. There was no response. He looked around. He sighed in exasperation. That was the fourth time this week. He kicked her chair suddenly and she jerked awake, and immediately picked up the scalpel he had requested, handing it to him as if nothing had happened.

He had no idea whether she had heard his request in her sleep and acted on it, or if she was simply so proficient at her job that she knew what he needed without his request. Both were possible. It was hard to imagine she could have survived this long if she didn't absorb things in her sleep. She was also more knowledgeable and skillful than some of the fully trained doctors he had met. The only downside to having her as an assistant and apprentice was her habit of...

She was asleep again. He rolled his eyes and carefully set the scalpel out of the way of his clean instruments, picking up his needle to find it already threaded and waiting for him. She really was something else. She could diagnose and treat absolutely every illness or injury she had seen while working for him without a moments hesitation, and just as professionally as he could do it himself. She was eager to learn more at every opportunity, and she was humbly obedient to his instructions at all times, although she had reprimanded one of his colleagues for almost improperly treating a minor infection as a venomous bite.

The man had wanted her to be dismissed from service immediately for questioning his judgment when a patient's arm was at risk. He lost his job himself when it became clear she had been right, and in fact saved the patient's arm from amputation.

There was also her effect on his patients. Whenever she was in the room, she served as an excellent distraction. She was a very attractive young woman, and she was quiet and polite, and slightly timid when she wasn't dealing with a strictly medical situation. He would say that medicine was her entire life, but he knew better. There was one and only one thing in her life that she would sacrifice anything and anyone for. Her twin sister.

* * *

"What is the number one rule of navigation on the Grand Line?" Nami asked her student. The girl in question answered without a pause.

"If your logic and your Log Pose disagree, trust the Log Pose." Kuina smiled proudly. She knew she was right. She'd never let herself be shown up. She committed every lesson to memory as if her life depended on it. Because, with any luck, someday it would. And not only her life, but that of her sister, and that of her teacher's son.

"That's right. When you're in the four blues, you rely on your common sense and experience. When you are on the Grand Line, you follow instinct and your Log Pose. If your Pose points to the sky, then there is an island their. If it moves in a circle while you are standing still, then the island is moving around you. If you have the gut feeling to sail right into a swirling vortex of death, go for it. It's not like you're going to escape anyway. Never do anything half way." Nami grinned at the girl. She could not have asked for a better student.

Kuina had every bit of the intuitive understanding of weather and navigation that she did, and she was so determined to learn every last detail that Nami had begun to feel as proud of the girl as she would her own child. Of course, her own child was in a category apart. Right now he would be out on the shore, learning combat skills from his grandfather. She sighed as she wondered once again what it was that made their entire family so strange.

Her son, Ace, had reminded her of his father from the day he was born. The resemblance grew year after year. The same messy black hair. The same wholehearted smile. The same straw hat, that she had given to him only seven years ago. She was brought back from her thoughts as Kuina pointed to a page in a book.

"Is it true that you need a special Log Pose when you enter the New World? How does it work?" The girl looked up at her, ready to devour and dissect every word she said in response. Nami smiled and nodded.

"Yes, it's true. A New World Pose has three needles instead of one. In the New World, islands will often change or completely hide their magnetic fields. And Eternal Pose will still hold it's course, but an ordinary Log Pose will lose it's way. A New World Pose locks on to three different islands, so that when one wavers, the other two will keep you on course." Nami remembered all the trial and error that had gone into navigating the Grand Line. It had been quite an adventure. "Let's call it a day. Want to stay for dinner?"

"Yes please!" Kuina grinned and stood up, stretching. Nami looked the girl up and down. How had her son not noticed that a girl this beautiful had a crush on him bigger than his father's appetite? Well it was pretty obvious. He had about as much sense in that regard as his father had. How long had he sailed with her before he finally figured out what she wanted from him? Three years. And she had been less than subtle a few times.

Kuina was quite stunning in her own way. Her curves were less pronounced than her mother's or Nami's but they fit her well. Her hair was jet black and hung in a simple ponytail between her shoulder blades. She refused to let it grow any longer than that because it would become a hassle. She valued practicality over aesthetics. She had sea green eyes, which Nami had to admit, had been the most attractive feature about the girl's father. She had a single golden earring in her left ear, exactly like her sister.

The two seemed to like being indistinguishable. They kept their hair the same length. They both wore a single identical earring in the same place. All in all, unless they opened their mouth, no one could tell the apart. Except Ace. Somehow, from the time he met them, he never mistook them for each other. They never had to speak for him to know. Was it the same kind of instinct that his father had that allowed him to choose his perfect crew? Who knows.

Kuina had begun developing her crush on the raven haired boy several years ago. Back then, Ace had nothing on his mind besides his next adventure, so Kuina gladly went with him. Helping him in any way she could. Of course, Olivia was always right their by her sister's side. Nami was surprised that Kuina never felt jealous, but then again, Olivia hadn't shown the faintest interest in her son.

The three had been quite a handful around the town. Everyone knew who they were. How could they not? They were the children of four of the legendary Straw Hat Pirates. They spent their days rampaging through the town, making their own adventures for three years. Ace and Kuina always the masterminds, and Olivia always just as happy to get into trouble, so long as her sister was there with her.

People thought Olivia was the poster child for well behaved young lady. But that was only when she was on her own. As soon as she was by her sister's side, the timid little girl would break out into a mischievous grin, and off they would go, following Ace on another quest to catch a rabbit, or climb a tree, or build a fort. No one ever had any doubts about Kuina though.

Kuina was more independent. Even on her own, she was the more straightforward sister. She spoke her mind, and she did what she wanted. She would listen to four people, to varying degrees. She would never question Ace. She was loyal to him beyond just a crush. She would follow him to the ends of the earth if he asked her to. She would always at least hear her sister out. She adored her twin too much to simply ignore her words as she did with most people. She would always respect Nami as her teacher and idol. And she never wanted to disappoint her mother.

That wasn't so much of a problem since her mother was always impressed by the things the trio managed to accomplish. Many times, the three were spared punishment only because not a single adult in the town could figure out how on earth they had done whatever it was they had done. Such as when the baker found a fully grown horse on his roof. Nami was still scratching her head over that one.

At Nami's request, the trio had begun writing down the details of their exploits. They would never share these accounts with anyone except very rarely their mothers. They were like Nami's own navigational logs. On the way to Raftel, she had only scribbled down the occasional note, dedicating herself instead to perfecting her maps. On the return trip, however, she recorded every detail. It had been her captain's idea. He said they should leave their story for the next generation after he found the logs of Gold Roger and his crew.

Oliva and Kuina's mother currently had all of the books from Raftel. Their captain had given them to her willingly, knowing she would appreciate them most, and see to it that they were kept safe and treated the way they deserved. Nami didn't think she had finished even a quarter of them yet, even after seventeen years.

Nami set to work preparing a large meal she had to feed both Ace and his grandfather, which was a feet even Sanji would have cringed at. She was just glad that his great grandfather had left. She had enjoyed his stay, hearing stories about her captain that she had never known before, but feeding three of those men would have rapidly stripped all her trees bare.

Kuina carefully packed up the supplies they had out that day. Nami believed in showing the girl first hand what things looked like and how they felt. How to hold them and read them, and what to do to make sure they were functioning. It was easier to learn first hand than by word of mouth or out of a book. The navigator in training knew the house as well as her own and put each item and book back in its proper place before taking a seat at the kitchen table and gazing dreamily out the window.

As Nami suspected, Ace and his grandfather were walking up the path from the shore. Ace had his shirt over his shoulder, and she had to admit, it was no surprise her student had fallen for him. He reminded her once gain of his father. Watching that man leap about the ship with his open jacket and shorts had been so enticing a few times that she had forced herself to confine herself to her quarters, lest she tackle him and have her way with him.

She supposed if he had decided to acknowledge her affection earlier, she probably wouldn't have completed nearly as much of her map.

"Hey Mom! Hey Kuina!" Ace grinned as he walked through the door. He was still panting slightly from whatever the older man had put him through. For being in his mid fifties, Dragon was still as strong and fast as a teenager. Nami grinned to herself as she thought about how much time the man had been spending with Kuina's mother. Of course, she knew it was purely platonic, but it still made her smile. After all, Robin had fallen for a younger man the first time. Why would an older one be off the menu?

Dragon and Robin would spend hours pouring over the ancient manuscripts from Raftel and Robin's own notes about the various Poneglyphs she had investigated. He contributed first hand knowledge he had gained from his experience with people of many islands that few written records existed about. They were working on filling in the True History.

"Hey Ace. How was training today?" Kuina smiled brightly at him as he sat next to her. He laughed and grabbed a sharp knife from the counter where his mother had been cutting up some pieces of meat.

"Watch this!" He raised the knife and brought it down on his arm as Kuina gasped in horror and Nami sighed. That is exactly how his father would have done it. She already knew what Dragon had been teaching him today. The blade struck his arm like it was made of steel, bouncing off harmlessly. Kuina gaped at him. "It's called Armament Haki! It's so cool! And I can put it on other stuff too!"

He placed his hand on her arm, causing her to shiver at the contact, and then brought the knife to her skin. He moved slowly this time, knowing she would freak out if he simply swung it at her, and likely less willing to risk her injury than his own if he should fail. Nami decided maybe she could calim him as her son as well then.

The blade once again left no mark, and Kuina smiled.

"It feels like it is blunt and barely touching me! That is amazing, Ace!" She doesn't seem to be in any hurry to move her arm from beneath his hand. Nami rolls her eyes. She had to ask Dragon to start doing their training at the same time as her lessons. Having Ace in the house made it impossible to teach the girl. She knew better than to bother judging. She'd only feel like a hypocrite.

"Don't get distracted, Ace. If you let your concentration slip for a second you'll cut her arm off." Dragon grinned a little morbidly as the girl finally pulled back her arm. Nami shook her head and tossed a spoon at him. He could have easily caught it, but he allowed it to bounce off his head. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare her. Just him."

"Well no more scaring anyone, dinner is ready!" Nami sat down two large plates in front of Dragon and Ace, and two smaller ones in front of herself and Kuina. Theirs together wouldn't add up to one of the others.

* * *

Robin sighed and closed the book she had just finished. Not a single mention of the Void Century. She hadn't set her hopes very high. There were hundreds of books, and she suspected only one held the information she was looking for. She set the volume aside and closed her eyes for a moment. Dragon would be here soon to see what she had found, and she would have to disappoint him today. She knew not to expect her daughters to make an appearance before nightfall. The would likely be out with Ace, hiking through the forest, or making trouble in the village.

She opened her eyes and glanced at the clock. She had half an hour. Dragon would be eating before he came, so she should fix herself something before he arrived. She smiled to herself. If she didn't have two beautiful daughters reminding her exactly who it was she had given her heart to, she might easily fall for him. He wasn't even ten years older than her, and they were mental equals. They were close friends. But every time she saw the sea green eyes of her daughters, she knew there would only ever be one man for her.

Once again, she wished he had lived to know his daughters. Or at least known that he was going to be a father. She had not found out she was pregnant until a few weeks after the execution. It had been like losing him all over again. She knew, deep down, knowing wouldn't have changed his decision. He had loved her. She didn't doubt that at all. But he was loyal beyond measure, and he had done what he believed was right for her and for his captain.

Robin hadn't been as strong as Nami. She hadn't been able to smile for him as he knelt on that platform. She regretted that, but didn't dwell on it. Nami had known that the captain was going to give himself up since they had left Raftel. Robin only had time to register the swordsman walking up to take his place by his captain's side before it was too late.

They had buried the captain and his first mate on the same island as Whitebeard and the commander of his second division, Fire Fist Ace. Robin made sure that his swords were buried with him. No one else deserved to wield those blades. She had kept his three earrings though. She wore one, and she had given one each to her daughters. A small memento of the man they would never know.

* * *

"It's ready, Nami. You want me to leave it at the dock?" Franky's voice came out of the Den Den Mushi as if he were standing in the room with her. She nodded her head before she remembered he wasn't actually there.

"Yeah, and thank you. Thank you for doing this. If there is ever anything I can do to repay you, just tell me." Nami leaned against the door frame to the kitchen, looking out the window toward the shore where Ace, Kuina, and Olivia were relaxing on their day off.

"Actually, I was wondering if you would come down and help with a few finishing touches. And bring your maps." Franky sounded a little excited, and for just a moment, she felt like she were about to go on an adventure like she had all those years ago. No. She shook her head. Her adventuring days were over. Time to turn it over to someone younger.

"Alright, I'll be there in just a few minutes. How will I know which one?" She wondered what the man's newest creation might look like.

"Oh, you'll know it. I think your husband's father would approve." The line went dead. Nami raised an eyebrow, then went to gather her maps and head to the dock. When she arrived, she grinned. She knew she found the right one in an instant.

* * *

"When are you leaving, Ace?" Kuina looked to the man by her side. He smiled out at the sea, one hand on the top of his straw hat, holding it in place against the light breeze.

"Tomorrow. Mom said the ship was arriving today. I'll be leaving this island before the sun has left the horizon." Ace didn't have even a trace of doubt in his voice. "Will you come with me? I know you both love your mother and your lives here very much. I won't blame you at all if you stay. My father started his journey alone."

"I'll go where my sister goes." Olivia had her bare feet buried in the sand, smiling at the sensation of wet sand between her toes.

"We'll see in the morning. If we don't show up, leave without us." Kuina knew her decision would not only effect herself, but her mother, her sister, her best friend, and even the patients of the doctor for whom her sister worked. It was a lot to take into consideration. She would think it over tonight. And if she made her decision at the last instant, she wouldn't have time to second guess herself.

"Alright. I can't wait to see what's beyond that horizon..." Ace watched the sun setting with a far away look in his eyes. Kuina wondered if his father had been so thoughtful when looking forward to such a big adventure. Maybe Nami had felt everything she was feeling. Maybe she had watched her captain, deep in thought, wondering what was going on inside his head. Or maybe, Ace was really one of a kind.

"Promise you'll come back someday, if we don't go with you tomorrow. Promise you'll come back and tell us all your stories." Kuina leaned against him slightly. He was as sturdy as a tree to her. She had heard the legends about his father's strength, but it was hard to imagine. If he was as similar to this boy as Nami claimed, it seemed impossible. Ace was lean and wiry. Strong, but not the monstrous strength attributed to the Pirate King.

"I promise." Ace looked at her and smiled. Then, very slowly he removed the hat he treasured so much from his head and placed it on her. "Bring this to me in the morning, whether it is to join me or to say good bye. I can't leave without it. I promise on this hat, I will come back here someday."

Kuina couldn't believe what he had just done. She had not seen him without that hat on his head since he was seven years old. Not once. It had been his father's. Long before then, it had belonged to the first Pirate King. It was all he had off his father. And he was entrusting it to her? She took a deep breath, forcing down her tears.

"I'll hold you to that." It was getting dark. The last edge of the sun had disappeared behind the water. They parted ways and went home, each wondering what the next day would hold.

* * *

"Hey Sis, I can't sleep." Olivia sat up and looked across the room to where her sister was laying, as restless as she was. The straw hat she had been entrusted with clutched carefully to her chest.

"I know what you mean... What should we do, Liv? I know you'll go with me, but it is your life. You don't have to just sit back and let me decide for you. What do you want to do? Stay or go?" Kuina sat up and sat the hat on her lap, letting her fingers explore the scratches, tears, burns, and stains that marked it's history.

"I think that if we go, we will not see our mother or our home for a very long time. And we may even die at sea. Promise or not, none of us are immortal. People die, especially on the Grand Line. Our father, and Ace's never came back to their homes. If we go, we might die, and never see Mom again. But if we stay, Ace will be alone. And we may never see him again. We may never know what happened to him... He needs us more than Mom does." Olivia yawned and blinked slowly as if the effort of explaining had worn her out.

"Let's go. You're right. He needs us more than Mom does. And we'd be passing up the adventure of a life time. Dad would be ashamed if we did that. He died side by side with Ace's father because he thought since they started their journey together, they should end it together. We started our adventures with Ace years ago. We should follow it through to the very end." Kuina smiled and suddenly felt tired herself. Maybe she just need to get rid of her doubts. Olivia was already asleep.

Kuina sat the hat carefully on the corner post of her bed and stretched out on her bed. Sleep took her in moments.

* * *

_Long ago, before all living memory, and before all written history, there were three brothers. These three brothers were unlike ordinary men. They had power. Power that no one else could even comprehend. They knew they were different. They knew their powers were a gift to be used for the good of the world. But as with all brothers, they disagreed about what was best for the world._

_The eldest brother believed the world needed structure. He believed that the men of the world needed to be ruled over and controlled. They needed the wise and strong to protect and guide them. They needed to be kept in the dark about some of the horrors of their world. They needed protected from the truth, and from freedom. The eldest brother believed that if they were completely free and knew all the secrets of the world, they would destroy themselves, along with the three brothers._

_The middle brother thought the people deserved the truth. He wanted to give them freedom to live life according to what was right in their hearts. He believed they were capable of determining right and wrong for themselves. He believed they would rebel against someone who tried to rule over them. He believed their spirits would not stand for it._

_The youngest brother tried to compromise. He cared little for these creatures called humans, though once he and his brothers would have been counted among them. He proposed they split the world, and let each rule their kingdom as they liked. But they could not decide how to split their kingdoms. The people lived only on the land, and traveled by sea, and all the while, they walked through the air._

_So, the eldest brother claimed the sky, through which every man walked, as his kingdom. He believed that this gave him greater power. He would have his way. The middle brother claimed the sea to counter his brother. The vast expanse of water that divided the scattered scraps of land became his kingdom, and even the weather was his to control, as it relied upon his seas. The youngest brother was left with the land. He was outraged that through the compromise he had suggested, he was left with the smallest kingdom._

_He watched his brothers fight for the lives of the pathetic creatures, and he decided to raise them up a little closer to the level of their rulers. He crafted special fruit to grant the men of his kingdom power enough to rival his brothers. He hoped the human would overthrow the other two, and he would be able to claim it all for himself._

_The elder brothers soon noticed the new strength of the humans. The powers that they had been given terrified the elder brother, convincing him more firmly that the only way for the humans to survive was if they were controlled and limited by his rule. The middle brother was disgusted, and in a moment of anger, cursed the powers of his younger brother and banned them from his kingdom. Those of the earth that carried such powers were rendered helpless withing the grip of his waters._

_But with the humans raised from their former weakness, the elder brothers would no longer compromise. They began to send their will into the people and use them to battle. The eldest brother created a mighty government, and ruled the land that once belonged to the youngest. The middle brother claimed the people of an island in the middle of his kingdom and gave them the knowledge the eldest denied them. He tasked them with spreading the truth of their world to everyone._

_The eldest brother would not stand for it. He launched his army and destroyed the island, killing the people of the middle brother. Taking his advantage, he continued, and with the power of his army, his government took control of almost all of the land in the world. The middle brother used his kingdom to stop the servants of the eldest. He made currents that defied human understanding. He made his kingdom deadly to traverse, and withing it's safety, he began to give his will to individuals._

_He realized that his vow to ban the powers of his younger brother from his kingdom had greatly crippled those he had chosen, so he granted men another power to rival his brother's, and even his own. He granted them the power to protect themselves from the powers of the youngest, and he gave them the power to see the intentions of their enemies._

_As his chosen ones were slaughtered time after time by the government of the eldest, the middle brother granted them a final gift. The power to conquer. Power to use their will as a weapon. He did not know at that moment that he had given them power that went beyond his own, and beyond that of his brothers. He had given men the power to conquer their rulers._

_The youngest brother had been stripped of his kingdom and cast into the depths of the earth. He plotted the downfall of his brothers and the rise of his own kingdom. He crafted a creature of darkness. He used the strength of his kingdom. It was as dark as obsidian, with skin like iron, and teeth like jagged crystals. Claws of steel, and blood of fire. He watched his brothers struggle against each other, waiting for the moment to strike._

_His time came, and he sent his creation out to tear down the world._

_Listen well, you who have uncovered this history. When you are reading this, the beast has already been released, and the man who holds the fate of the world in his hands prepares to set sail. He will leave with the blessings of a generation at his back, and he will uncover the truth on his own. He will fight, and it will be he that decides which brother to topple, and which to save. The future of our world rests with him._

_Place your trust on the man with a hat of straw and the legacy of kings._

Robin leaned back and contemplated what she had read. Finally, she had found something substantial. This book was full of stories, each similar, but different. They each spoke in different ways. Some called the three brothers gods. Some called them spirits. Some called them the creators of the world. The stories all agreed that there was a conflict between the three, and that the powers that she had seen in her adventures came from them. They also agreed that a man would save the world, or destroy it. He would set out on his own, and discover the truth for himself, and then he would make a choice that would decide the fate of the three brothers, and all the people of the world.

It was like the book had been written by a dozen different authors, during a dozen different eras. The each told the same basic story, but like legends and myths, the facts and details had been distorted with time. There was no way to tell which was the real story. Maybe all of them. Whatever the case, she was certain of one thing. The man who would save or damn the world was Ace.

He would set sail in the morning. Should she give him the book? Tell him what she had discovered? No. She couldn't. All the stories said he must discover the truth on his own. But she had to help somehow. When Nami had come to ask her what she wanted to send with them, she had no idea. Now she knew. She crossed her arms and summoned an army of hands to help her. Throughout the night, she moved the books she deemed useful down to the dock.

* * *

"Ace! Wait for us!" Kuina was running down the road toward the dock as fast as her legs would carry her. She skidded to a stop in front of him and panted for a moment before straightening up and smiling. "We're coming with you. Liv is saying good bye to the doctor, then she'll be here." She raised her hand to her head and lifted his hat, returning it to his reverently. "Thank you for trusting me."

"Of course I trust you. I wouldn't have invited you to come with me if I didn't." Ace smiled and turned toward the dock again, looking at the ships anchored there. His jaw fell slightly open. Kuina followed his line of sight, but before she could locate what had caught his attention, Olivia came to a stop, nearly tackling her.

"Hey, what are you guys looking at?" Olivia looked around. Ace pointed and the twins followed his finger.

"That's it. Our ship. _The Legacy Storm_. It's... incredible." He walked forward slowly, mouth still hanging open, and eyes wide in amazement. The twins were shocked. This was their ship? It was enormous! How could just the three of them sail it?

The ship was a thing of beauty. Larger than the other ships in the harbor, it was by far the most artistically crafted. It was obvious a great deal of care and attention had gone into every detail. The figure head was a roaring dragon. Ace finally smiled.

"Let's go check it out!" He ran toward the side and began climbing up. Soon, the twins followed him. The landed on the deck right after him and looked around. It was clear the ship was new. It had likely only been sailed from the place it was crafted to their shore. Now it was theirs, and it would take them to the ends of the earth and back.

"We should get familiar with the ship before we set off. Lets look around." Kuina suggested. They split up and began thoroughly searching the vessel from end to end, and top to bottom.

The first room the found was the kitchen. It was fully stocked with food that looked like it was prepared by a five star chef. It was fully equipped to cook anything imaginable. A lot of the food on board now was already prepared. Eventually, they needed a cook, or one of them would need to learn.

The next room was obviously a medical wing. Olivia took stock of everything and told the others that it was ready for any emergency. It was stocked better than the hospital had been. She was happy to know she would be able to treat her friends if she needed to.

They soon found a room that took Kuina's breath away. In the center was a large table. The top of the table, beneath a sheet of what felt like glass or plastic, was Nami's world map. The clear cover was hinged, and could be opened to allow additions at any time. In a latched cabinet were a Log Pose, a New World Pose, and a full set of standard navigational equipment. The next shelf held all of Nami's navigation logs from her return from Raftel.

They moved on and found a room with a few musical instruments. Maybe someday they would have a musician. There was a work shop stocked with tools and materials of all varieties. There was a bathroom with a complicated mechanism for cleaning and warming water for showers. There was an armory, and there was a library. The twins were shocked to find many of their mother's favorite books there. There was no mistaking some of them. They had seen those covers for seventeen years.

There was a lot of room in the crow's nest. The twins remembered that was where their father and mother had spent most of their time on the journey home. There were plenty of rooms for sleeping, and right now they could easily each have their own room. There were six rooms, each with four beds. Ace took one, and the twins took the one across from him.

The last room was round, and had a simple table in the center, surrounded by seats. In the middle of the table, there were a few packages. One was small, about the size of a person's head. One was long and thin. The last was flat. On top, there was a letter.

_Ace, Olivia, Kuina._

_I'm very proud of you all, and I know Robin is as well. I hope these gifts will keep you safe on your journey. The medical wing was stocked by our own doctor, Chopper. The ship and the workshop were all Franky. The map and navigation equipment is from me. The books are Robin's, and the food is from Sanji. In the flat package, you will find a flag from Usopp. Fly it proudly. In the long package, there is a special sword that Brook sent, as well as the instruments. He hopes someday you will let him play for you. The last package is also from Sanji. It is a Devil's Fruit with an unknown ability. Whether you use it or sell it is up to you. There is plenty of treasure on the ship, if you can find it. Hopefully it will be all you need until you can find some of your own._

_Gold Roger set out to turn the world upside down. Our captain set out to become the Pirate King. Now you are setting sail to uncover the mysteries of the world. I know you will succeed, and I'll be waiting for you to return. Robin and Dragon send their best wishes, as do all the Straw Hats. Don't you think for a moment that you've found all the secrets of this ship. You'll be finding things for years to come. If you don't mind, I would like your first stop to be Foosha Village, where your father grew up._

_Monkey D. Ace, Roronoa Olivia, Roronoa Kuina, take our flag to places it has never gone before!_

_Nami._

The trio smiled as they finished the letter. They opened the packages. Ace held the fruit up between the twins.

"Use it or sell it? You guys choose." He smiled.

They looked at their new captain, then the fruit, the each other. They grinned. "Use it!"

Ace nodded, then sat it on the table. He drew the sword they had been given, a beautiful straight bladed katana that seemed to glow with it's own light, and sliced the fruit cleanly in two. He cleaned and sheathed the sword, then handed half to each girl.

"Ace, you're the captain! You should be the one to have the power!" Kuina was shocked as she held her half. Ace shook his head.

"I have haki. You two need to be able to protect each other. One of you will get the power. Let fate decide." He grinned and sat back, watching as the two girls nodded to him, then each took a bite. They both made a face similar to licking the bottom of someone's shoe. "So? Do either of you feel any different?"

"No... How would we know? Do we just... wait? For something weird to happen?" Kuina stretched her arm, but nothing happened. Olivia tried concentrating hard on her had, but it remained solid. Their captain shrugged.

"I have no idea. Let's get going! The sun is almost up! Let's set sail for Foosha Village!" Ace stood up and began to walk toward the door. Kuina sighed at the disappointing fruit and went to set their course. She disappeared. Her sister and captain stared at the spot she had been in moments ago. Then, in a flash, she was back. She looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Did... Did I just jump to the map room without going anywhere in between?" The navigator looked to her crew mates for confirmation. They both nodded. She grinned and was gone again. This time she spoke from behind them. "This is kinda cool." They spun around to find her standing on the table, grinning. Ace smiled back.

"Perfect! That is so cool! You'll have to practice and make sure you don't end up jumping inside a wall or something. That might be bad." Ace began walking again, and Olivia was about to follow him when suddenly she was on the deck ahead of him. She blinked and looked back at him. He laughed. "I thought only one person could have a power at a time!"

"That is what I had read! This shouldn't be possible!" Olivia was concerned, but her sister just shrugged.

"Don't worry too much about it. It is the way it is. Maybe it was a special fruit. Or maybe it is because we're twins." Kuina jumped to the stairs leading to the map room, grinning.

"We should be careful until we know more about it. Maybe we should visit Sanji and see what he can tell us about it, since he sent it." Ace nodded.

"That will be on our list of places to go then! Olivia, put the flag up! Let's show the world that the Straw Hat Pirates are back!" The doctor sighed and nodded, jumping to the top of the mast, clinging easily to the ropes, she affixed the large black banner to clips that fit it perfectly. She was on the deck again in an instant. All three looked up at the flag.

"Well... Here we go." Kuina looked at her captain and smiled. They were ready for their next big adventure.

* * *

_**So... First chapter finally finished to my satisfaction! I would like to give special thanks to LynxKlaw for all her help with lore, characters, and general ideas. I hope to have Ms. Anna Banana helping me soon, if her schedule permits. Any questions, comments, or suggestions are welcome!**_


	2. Cook and Warlord

"Makino! Come outside! There's something I think you'll want to see!" One of the bar's frequent customers leaned in through the open door and called to her. She raised her head from the dishes she had been washing and saw the man's excited face.

It had been years since something like this had happened. Seventeen years. Not since the execution of the Pirate King. She smiled in anticipation and ran to the door. She knew her customers were good people and would not try anything while she was out. She wouldn't be too surprised if they finished the dishes for her. She had to order them to let her do her job more than once in the past.

She stepped out onto the road and looked toward the dock, hoping to see that flag she had been longing for since it's last appearance in their town. What she saw stopped her in her tracks. The flag hanging from that magnificent ship was familiar alright, but it was not the one she had expected. No, she had never expected this flag to appear again. But there was no mistaking it.

Standing on the figure head of the ship was a young man with black hair, and on his head was a straw hat. She stared for only a moment before she was racing down the path toward the ship. There was no way it could be him... She had watched the execution herself! There hadn't even been a rumor of his survival! How could he be here? Was this a dream?

She reached the dock and watched as the boy climbed down a ladder on the side of the ship and dropped to the firm planks, straightening and letting his face stretch into a grin she knew only too well. She walked closer slowly, not knowing if it was a ghost, or a trick. When she got closer, the truth began to come to her.

_He's too young... And he has no scar on his face or chest..._

"You... You are his son, aren't you?" She knew the answer before she had asked. There was no other possibility. He turned to her, and focused his gaze on her, taking in every detail. There was no mistake. This could not possibly be anyone else.

"Yes. Did you know him? My father?" He walked toward her, still studying her more intensely than she could ever imagine coming from his father.

"Yes. I knew him when he was very young. Would you like to come up to the bar and talk? It must have been a long trip." She saw him considering it. Had his father been capable of this kind of focus? Or had this come from his mother? Suddenly his face split into a grin. He turned back toward his ship and called out to it.

"Oi! Olivia! Kuina! Hurry up!" As soon as he called, Makino saw two young women begin climbing down the side of the ship, each with a large coil of rope in hand. They quickly tied the ship to the dock and then walked confidently over to the man with the straw hat.

"What's going on?" One of the girls asked him. He gestured to Makino.

"She knew my father. We're going to the bar to talk to her. Come on!" With that, he turned back to her, and she led the way back up the hill.

* * *

When they returned to the bar, she had set about telling him everything she knew of his father. She talked about his friendship and admiration of a pirate that used to visit the area frequently. She told about him eating the Devil's Fruit that turned him into the rubber man the world knew. She also spoke about his training to set out as a pirate, both on his own, and at the hand of his grandfather, Garp the Fist.

He was engrossed in her stories. There was not a single detail he allowed her to leave out. He wanted to know everything, and their conversation lasted long after the other patrons of the bar had left for the night. When she had finished relating all she knew, he slipped into his own thoughts.

"We have been traveling for about two weeks to get here. It would be nice to spend a night on solid ground. Do you know where we could rent a room for a reasonable price?" Kuina decided to see to the necessities of making port here while her captain contemplated the new information about his father.

"You are welcome to stay here as my guests! We have a few spare rooms. This used to be an inn as well, but after the excitement over the Pirate King's execution finally died down, our island doesn't get enough visitors for it to be worth keeping open." Makino gestured toward the upper floor.

"Thank you very much! We would be happy to pay for the room though! We haven't done anything to deserve such hospitality!" Olivia spoke up, feeling a bit guilty for getting a free room just because of their captain's father.

"Nonsense. I invited you. Besides, I've always had a bit of a soft spot for people wearing that hat. Where are you all heading? I don't suppose you are after One Piece as well, are you?" She smiled, remembering how determined the pirates she had know used to be to find the legendary treasure.

"Not exactly. I plan to go to Raftel, but that's only part of the journey. Sure we'll find treasure along the way, but what I really want to do is uncover the mysteries of the seas! I want to see every secret this world has to offer! I want to show the world that there are still things we don't know. The unknown isn't gone yet. There are still adventures that no one has considered yet!" Ace snapped out of his thoughts and stood up, stretching.

"Sounds like quite the goal you have set for yourself. I think you're right. The World Government would like us to believe there is nothing left out there worth discovering. They want the Great Age of Pirates to die quietly. I hope you can show the world that there is still a little mystery left in the world!" Makino felt excited. Like she had all those years ago, when she would listen to the stories of great pirates who had seen things she could hardly imagine.

"We will! Kuina, can you go get the stuff we'll need from the ship?" Ace turned to one of the girls, and she nodded. Could he really tell them apart? They looked identical to her. The girl in question walked out the door, and she could swear she was out of sight before the door had swung shut. She must have run for all she was worth.

A few minutes later, Kuina was walking back through the door, not even out of breath. She must have been in incredible shape to have made it to the ship and back in so little time without even breathing hard. Makino decided not to question it. After all, the Pirate King's first mate could preform acts of strength that made her shudder to imagine.

"I brought the map of the island, a compass, a bit of food, and a change of clothes for each of us. Did I forget anything?" She held up a neatly filled box. She had run carrying that? And had time to assemble and pack all of it? Unbelievable. It was then that the door to the bar opened and a young man walked in, probably twenty years of age, with striking red hair, and a carefree grin on his face.

"Hey Mom. Sorry I'm so late. We were so close to finishing that I decided to stay an extra couple of hours and finish it off. No more roofing for me!" He laughed and took a seat at the bar next to Olivia and slid a small pile of money across to Makino. "Who are our guests?"

"These are new friends. Ace, Kuina, and Olivia. They're pirates, and just starting out. I knew Ace's father, so I invited them to talk and stay the night. Did they really pay this much? I thought they had only promised 50,000 beli?" Makino counted the money and gaped at how much there was.

"He said he had promised a low amount because he was used to people my age slacking off and making the job take far too long, as well as cutting corners. He doubled the wage for the hard work, threw in a bonus for working late and finishing early, and let me keep the left over budget for materials. Not half bad. I won't hesitate to work for him again." The red haired man laughed again and then turned toward the trio of pirates. "My name's Roger. It's nice to meet you."

"Same. I hope we aren't in your way while we're here." Ace looked the man over then smiled. "We'll be gone in a day or two at most, and we'll try not to be any trouble."

"Ha! I'd be happy to have a little excitement around here. It gets boring, you know? There haven't been any pirates around here since I was too young to remember. All I have are the stories from my mother and some of the older people in the town. Most don't like to talk about it though. They prefer the quiet life." Roger sighed and leaned his back and elbows against the bar, looking out the window and toward the sea.

"Sounds like you would have been happier during the Great Age of Pirates, huh?" Olivia asked, smiling at the man beside her.

"You say that like it's over. The so called New Age? I don't believe it. This is just a lull. The calm before the storm. I can feel it. Some time soon, the Great Age of Pirates is going to make a come back and the world is going to shake to the core again!" Roger smiled as he watched the waves lapping against the cost. Ace grinned and took a seat on his other side.

"I hope you're right. Maybe we'll be the ones who bring it back!" Ace laughed and spun around to face the counter, where Kuina had smoothed out their map of the island. She pointed to the harbor where their ship was, then located the bar. She frowned.

"The town has changed a lot. There was only a bar when this map was drawn." The navigator looked up at Makino, but Roger answered.

"The place was torn apart and nearly destroyed several years ago. I've heard a lot of stories about it. Apparently a crew of pirates attacked hoping to take hostages, but another crew intervened and stopped them. I was about two at the time I think. It was about a month before the world heard their was a new Pirate King." Roger looked to his mother to make sure his facts were right. She nodded. "We've been rebuilding and improving ever since. It was actually a nice opportunity. The people here are a bit stubborn, and they don't change something until it falls down around their ears."

"So that's why you were doing roofing? You guys are still rebuilding after eighteen years?" Kuina looked surprised. Roger shook his head.

"Not exactly. Most of the repairs were finished ages ago. What's happening now is expansion. The mayor thinks if we expand the town a bit and industrialize and commercialize a bit, we'll attract more visitors and help the businesses. A lot of people have been leaving the island for better prospects elsewhere."

"I see. So this is more of an effort to save the village?" Olivia asked. Roger nodded.

"I think it is a lost cause. The people who love this village will stay to the bitter end. The ones who don't will leave. There really isn't much we can do. But it keeps me busy, so I'm not complaining. It's better than being bored all the time." Roger looked almost sad.

"Why don't you leave?" Ace turned back to the red haired man.

"Never had the opportunity, really. Most crews that stop here don't really need a carpenter or cook, and i'm not good enough with a sword to be much help in the kind of battles that happen out on the ocean, and none are willing to train me. I'm stuck." Roger sighed and stood up, then started toward the stairs. "I'm beat. I'll see you in the morning. If you need a guide around town, I'll happily oblige."

"Good night, Roger!" Olivia smiled at his retreating back. Her twin poked her in the ribs gently and gave her a suggestive smile. She blushed and turned her attention back to their host. "He's a cook as well?"

"Oh yes. He helps me here when he doesn't have other jobs around town. He's a lot better chef than I am. He says that since he can't physically go anywhere exciting, he can at least eat like he's traveling the world." Makino smiled and then yawned. "Let me show you to your rooms, then I must go to bed as well. I have to be up early. A lot of my customers like to stop in before they start working."

"Thank you again for letting us stay, and if there is anything we can do to repay you while we're here, don't hesitate to ask!" Kuina smiled at the woman as she led them up stairs and showed them two rooms.

* * *

"Roger! You said you needed some training with a sword?" Ace called down the bar as they sat eating breakfast together the next morning. The red haired man nodded uncertainly. Ace grinned. "Well I need a sparring partner. I haven't done any proper training since I left home, and I don't want to get out of shape before I need to defend myself. Interested?"

"Yeah!" Roger grinned with excitement. Sword fighting with an actual pirate? It was a dream come true. Ace finished his plate and once again thanked his host then stood up.

"Kuina, when you and your sister finish, go grab three swords from the ship and meet us down at the shore." Ace began walking toward the door. He turned back toward Roger and raised an eyebrow. The red haired man jumped up and followed him.

Five minutes later they were both standing on the shore, feeling the soft spray of the sea in the cool morning air. Ace kicked off his sandals and began doing stretches, explaining each one to Roger before moving to the next one. Roger followed along, feeling his muscles protest at first, but noticed they began to relax and respond quickly. Next, Ace took a deep breath and dived straight into the sea, swimming a hundred meters out, then back. He repeated the exercise a few times before walking back on shore and wringing out his drenched shirt.

Not long after, the twins arrived with the swords. Roger wondered which of the twins would be joining them. To his surprise, both of them picked up swords, and the third was offered to him. He raised an eyebrow at the girl holding the sword, but she just smiled in a way that clearly said, "Trust us, we know what we're doing."

Ace was standing with his eyes closed, and to Roger's horror, one of the twins suddenly lunged at him, swinging their blade quickly at his head. Before he could cry out a warning, Ace had moved gracefully out of the way of the attack, never opening his eyes. Moments later, the two girls were launching an all out attack on the young unarmed man, and to Roger's ever increasing shock and awe, he was easily holding his own.

The girls finally sat down in the sand, exhausted, while Ace was barely breathing heavily. He motioned for Roger to attack next. The redheaded man had no idea what to expect, but now knew that this man clearly didn't expect him to hold back. He swung with all he had at the pirate's neck, and Ace raised an arm into the blade's path. The blade struck, and Roger expected to be bathed in blood, and then promptly killed by the two girls behind him.

The blade shook in his hand as if he had struck a steel post. Ace's arm was unharmed. The pirate opened his eyes and grinned at the confused man. He struck out twice, rapidly putting Roger on the defensive. It took several near misses to realize he was supposed to be using the sword to deflect the attacks. This was the pirate's idea of training? He was insane.

An hour later, Roger was completely winded, but felt he had definitely improved. Ace's attacks had been vicious and precise, and Roger knew that a sparring match with him would easily lead to bruises, and possibly broken bones. Was that why he had only dodged with the twins? Roger was beginning to respect the man more and more. By that time, the twins had caught their breaths and stood before the two men, swords in hand.

They fought for only half an hour before they were ready to take a break. Ace called it enough for the day, and asked them to return the swords. He stayed with Roger on the shore.

"You've gotta have some questions now." Ace grinned at the man beside him, who nodded.

"How do you fight like that? Completely barehanded? You could clearly use a sword if you know how to teach it that well. And how do you deflect the blade without getting cut to ribbons? And how did you fight with your eyes closed?" Roger finally drew a breath, and Ace held up his hands.

"Woah, one at a time. My grandfather taught me to fight for the past few years. I choose to fight without a weapon because that's how my father, and his father, and his father all fought. I learned to use a sword, as well as a staff and a pistol, just in case, but I prefer to fight with just my body. As for the rest, I use a technique called Haki. It lets me see the moves of my opponents even before they make them, and it lets me shield my body from most attacks." Ace leaned back on the sand and pulled his hat over his eyes.

"Okay. I think I understand. The twins... They didn't learn to fight like that?" Roger asked.

"No. They learned other skills. Kuina is our navigator. He learned from my mother. Olivia is our doctor. She was an apprentice for the doctor of our village. I've been teaching them a little bit of sword fighting so they can defend themselves, but I don't think it would be safe for me to go on the offensive with them yet. You did great." Ace grinned, eyes still covered against the sun that had risen well into the sky while they had been fighting.

"Thanks, but I don't understand why you brought me along. I enjoyed being able to learn a bit, but I couldn't have been much of a sparring partner when you are that skillful." Roger looked toward the ship to find the girls returning already. They had recovered quickly.

"I wanted to see what you were made of. You see, our crew could use a cook, and another fighter." Ace left the sentence hang in the air between them, waiting for Roger to find the hidden invitation. It didn't take long.

"You mean I can come with you?" Roger couldn't believe his ears. A pirate crew was inviting him out to sea with them? Ace nodded, still grinning. Roger couldn't stop a large smile from creeping onto his face as well. The twins were there now. One of them kicked their captain in the ribs gently, causing him to twitch and sit up.

"You haven't picked up Liv's habit, have you?" It must be Kuina that spoke then. Ace just laughed and shook his head. "So, did he ask you yet?" She had turned to Roger. He nodded dumbly. "And?"

"I'd be honored to join you." He didn't bother thinking about it any more. This was what he had wanted for years. He was finally leaving this place. Ace stood up in a flash and offered him a hand. After pulling himself up, Ace grinned once more and shook his hand firmly.

"Welcome to the crew! You are now officially a member of the Straw Hat Pirates!" Ace released him and began walking back toward the bar. Roger couldn't move. He stared at the man. The hat on his head. How had he not picked up on it before? His mother knew this man's father. He had the hat that should have been instantly recognizable to anyone in the world, but seventeen years without seeing it in anything but a few old pictures had dulled its importance in his mind. Now it struck him. He had just joined the crew of the son of the most notorious pirate of the last twenty years.

He shook his head to clear his mind and then followed the three pirates back to the bar. Wait till his mother heard this.

* * *

Roger stepped off the ladder and onto the deck of the ship for the first time that evening, looking around with admiration. It was like something out of a dream. It had been harder than he expected, saying goodbye to his mother, but he knew this was where he belonged. Traveling the sea. Maybe, if he was very lucky, he would even meet his father out there somewhere.

"Roger! Come on! I'll show you around!" Olivia was smiling at him from the stairs leading to the lower level. He followed her through the ship for several minutes, trying his best to memorize the layout of the rooms so he wouldn't wander around aimlessly every time he tried to find something. It seemed like a game, because every time Olivia stepped out of his line of sight, she seemed to sprint. She never let him catch her at it though. Finally, she showed him to his room, then the kitchen.

It was larger and more well supplied than the kitchen at the bar. He took stock of the equipment at his disposal and found everything he could ever imagine needing and more. The room had been designed to accommodate a larger crew of about two dozen, but he found the table to be reconfigurable. After a little experimenting, he had it reassembled to seat four, with plenty of extra space.

It felt like a professional restaurant. He leaned against the counter, looking out the door at the figurehead of the ship. It was a fearsome sight. A beautiful dragon, mouth open in a roar that he could easily imagine shaking the ship and the ocean around them. Although there were many ridges, spikes, and scales carved into the dragon, there was an open spot on the top that one could easily sit on.

It was a well known quirk of the Pirate King that he had loved that spot on both of his ships. It struck many as odd, and some as brave that a man who was a hammer in the sea would choose such a precarious position for himself. Roger wondered for a moment if maybe his captain had an ability as well. No, he had seen him swimming like a fish before they had sparred.

It seemed that only two weeks was not enough time to have found a Devil's Fruit. What would he do if he had the opportunity to eat one? He loved to swim, but it would make him a better fighter. That could be invaluable as a pirate. He decided he would make that decision when he was faced with it.

_I wonder if we'll meet any of the legendary pirates that they always talk about in the stories of the Pirate King?_ He had given it some thought before, but now he was really going out there. What if he really met Marco the Phoenix? Or Sir Crocodile? Or Trafalgar Law? There were so many pirates out there, and the sea was enormous. It wasn't all that likely, but it definitely wasn't impossible either.

What would they do if they did, though? Ace's haki is amazing, but there is no way he could take on the Shikibukai or the Yonkos as he is now. Not with only three crew mates to help him. Hopefully, that is a long way off. Roger's head snapped back to the front of the ship. Ace had been trained by his grandfather. The figurehead of the ship was a...

"Ace! You learned to fight from the Revolutionary Dragon?!" Roger stepped out of the kitchen, staring at the young captain in awe once again. Ace merely nodded and turned his attention back to the map his navigator was showing him. Roger sighed. This was ordinary for them. Would he learn to accept such fantastic things as normal someday?

"Roger! Come up here!" Ace called down to him, waving for him to join them in looking at the map. He ascended the stairs quickly and stood next to them. "We need a new destination. There is a lot of ocean between here and Shimotsuki Village. You've been hearing stories from travelers for ages, is there anywhere in East Blue you want to see?"

"I heard there was an island in the south-west of East Blue where there are Sea Kings that live on land. They're a lot smaller than the ones you normally see, so it is possible that they are a whole new kind of creature, or that these are even young Sea Kings that will go into the ocean later. No one has a clue what else might be there. It is too close to the calm belt for most people to be comfortable there, and they're afraid of the Sea Kings. It would be dangerous, but we might find something worth while there. There could be trees full of Devil's Fruits or mountains of pure gold." Roger pointed to a spot on the map. "From the stories I heard, it should be around there."

"That would be really cool! Kuina, do you think we can find it?" Ace grinned and looked to his navigator. She nodded thoughtfully.

"As long as the magnetic fields from the Grand Line don't interfere with my navigation equipment, being that close, then yeah, it shouldn't be a problem. Although we may have to sail around for a day or two before we actually find it once we're in the area. And we'll have to be careful not to stray into the calm belt either." Kuina traced a path from their current position to the proposed destination slowly.  
"It will take us nearly three weeks to get there though. We should stop somewhere along the way to restock."

"Sounds good! Let's get ready to set sail! Oi! Olivia! We're ready to head out! Untie the ship, and put the flag back up! Roger, help Kuina drop the sails. I'll go raise anchor." Ace leaped gracefully from the upper deck to the lower and ran to the anchor's rope. Roger looked up at the mast.

"Why did you guys take down your flag?" He asked Kuina.

"First, it's not just our flag anymore, it's... well _our_ flag. Second, Ace thought it would be better if we didn't attract much attention while we were here. He wanted to be welcome back in the future. Once we enter the Grand Line, it will be up all the time though." Kuina walked past him toward the stairs. By the time he had turned around, she was already half way up the mast, ready to lower the sails. He shook his head in wonder and went to help her.

"Uh-oh..." Kuina was looking toward the end of the dock. A ship had stopped, blocking their path. It flew a pirate flag. A very famous one. Roger turned to see the white skull and cross bones, a red nose and two crosses marking the face. Why would one of the Seven Warlords be here in East Blue? Roger and Kuina quickly descended to the deck and called out for Olivia and Ace to join them.

The crew of the ship was standing on it's deck, grinning and laughing and all in all trying to look as intimidating as possible. In Roger's opinion, they were doing a pretty good job of it. One of them yelled across to them.

"Vacate the ship, and leave everything. We're claiming everything you have as property of the Buggy Pirates!" The pirate cackled loudly and waited. Ace didn't move a muscel. Instead, he remained facing the opposing vessel, speaking to his crew. Roger noticed a new sword in his captain's hand. A straight bladed katana with a black and orange hilt, and a black scabbard.

"I'm sorry I couldn't lead you any farther than this. I won't blame you for running. We're not prepared to take on a crew as strong as them, but I refuse to give up this ship without a fight. Take some money and hide. Buy passage home when things are safer. Tell my mother what happened to me." Ace didn't flinch as the Buggy Pirates began to grow impatient, a few even firing warning shots into the air.

"Like hell. We knew what we were getting into when we decided to come with you. We're not running away as soon as thing take a bad turn. We're nakama." Kuina stood shoulder to shoulder with her captain. She looked resigned to what was coming. Olivia smiled with acceptance and took her spot next to her sister. Roger sighed. How could he ever face his father if he ran now?

"I'm staying too. They'd just hunt us down in the village anyway." Roger took his place on Ace's other side. To his surprise, the young captain held the beautiful sword out to him. He looked questioningly at him. "Are you sure? That is no ordinary sword. I'm not skilled or strong enough to do it justice..." Ace grinned confidently and extended it closer to his newest crew mate.

"Take it. If we die, no one will care whether you deserved it or not. If we live, how can you claim it is above you?" Ace laughed and called out to the enemy ship as Roger accepted the blade. "Buggy Pirates! We refuse to surrender! We will fight you to the death if we have to. We may not win, but we will take more of you with us than you think! If you want our ship, tell your captain to fight me himself!"

The crew of the enemy ship looked surprised at his response. This man they faced knew he was facing death, with no illusions of victory, yet still he was ready to fight? One of them called out to their captain. From the doors leading below deck came a tall man with a scarred and worn face but an unmistakeable red nose that identified him as the renowned Buggy the Clown.

"What are you buffoons doing making so much noise? This better be important!" Buggy stormed out onto the deck amongst his crew and glared across at the small assembly of pirates facing him. Then his eyes widened. He turned back to his men. "Who decided to attack them? Come forward now." His order was deceptively calm. One man stepped forward, unsure of what was coming.

In a flash, four knives were raked across his chest, not deep enough to kill, but enough to take the place of whip lashes. He cried out in pain and stumbbled back, cowering under the fierce scowl of his captain.

"You flashy idiots! Do you not recognize that flag?! Do you see the hat he is wearing?!" Buggy bellowed at his crew as they began to back away from him slowly. His temper all too well known among them. "Do you not remember exactly _why_ we came to this useless piece of dirt to begin with?! Fools! Get back to work and clear the way for them!"

Roger was baffled. What had happened? Why were they not being slaughtered like cattle? Not that he was complaining. The fuming pirate warlord leaped to their deck in one impressive jump and walked forward until he was only a few feet in front of Ace.

"My crew have gotten a bit out of hand. They're not used to having nothing to fight out here in East Blue. We are here on peaceful terms, seeking a temporary alliance with another crew that I suspected might be here. It turns out I was mistaken. Are you four the only ones aboard?" Buggy looked like his anger was abating slowly as he looked around their ship for more pirates.

"Just the four of us. You stopped them from attacking when you saw our flag. Does that mean you were on good terms with my father? It would be nice to have some idea who will attempt to negotiate with us and who will shoot on sight when we reach the Grand Line." Ace looked over the men moving about on the other ship, waiting to see if they might attack despite their orders.

"He was a formidable enemy at one time, and a grudging ally later on. After that, we tended to stay out of each others way and made no unnecessary moves to antagonize each other. I am, however, looking to speak to a pirate who considered your father a close friend, and killing you would not have sent the impression I intended." Buggy's response was honest, if less than friendly.

"I understand. Regardless of the reason, I'm glad it didn't come to bloodshed. Our crew is not prepared to take on one as strong as yours." Ace seemed willing to admit he had never stood a chance. Buggy raised an eyebrow.

"You seemed prepared to fight nonetheless. That is impressive in itself. I'll be interested to see what kind of a man you become by the next time we meet. Don't forget this encounter." Buggy turned to return to his ship, then he paused. "You, with the red hair. Do you know the name of your father?"

"No. My mother doesn't like to talk about him. I think she is afraid he is dead, or never coming back. She hasn't seen him since I was three. Why? Do you know him?" Roger's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Too soon to tell for sure. We'll see next time we meet. I would suggest finding some more crew mates before you enter the Grand Line. Not everyone there is as flashy and honorable as I am." With that, Buggy took a few short steps and leaped nimbly to his own ship, touching down between several of his subordinates.

"Well, that went better than I expected." Kuina patted her captain's shoulder and turned to set them off on course. Ace grinned and turned to Roger.

"We survived. Keep the sword. I have haki, and the girls have their ability. As captain, I have to take care of all of my nakama. I'll continue teaching you to use a sword, but we'll practice with ordinary blades. It seems that one will still penetrate my haki." Ace held up his left hand where he had held the partially unsheathed blade. His fingers had a faint line of blood across them.

"The twins have abilities?!" Roger's brain finally caught the statement and looked around to the two girls, going about their normal duties, looking completely normal. "What are they?" Ace laughed.

"They've been very careful to keep it a secret. But since you are part of the crew now, I think you should know. They both have the same ability, thanks to that strange sword. I cut the fruit with it, and somehow it cut the ability as well. Oi! Olivia! Kuina! Show Roger what you can do!" Ace called to the twins. Kuina looked like she had been hoping he wouldn't ask. Olivia smiled, and as Roger watched, she disappeared. Almost instantly, she tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to spin around and stumble away from her.

"Woah! What kind of ability is that? Paramecia or Logia?" He watched as Kuina appeared next to her sister in a silent flutter of their hair. She shrugged.

"We couldn't find anything about it in any of our mother's books. It doesn't seem to strictly fit into either category. We're pretty sure it isn't Zoan though. It's just one more mystery we plan to solve on our journey!" Olivia answered him, still smiling at his surprise. "We were wondering how long it would take for you to guess we had an ability, but Ace had to go and ruin the bet."

"It would have taken me a while. I thought you were both just incredible sprinters. I feel a bit foolish now." Roger shook his head and looked at his captain. "That hat might get us out of a lot of close calls like that."

"Or it might make them worse. Not everyone liked the Pirate King." Kuina reminded them both. Ace nodded.

"We'll take on whatever comes our way. Well, Roger. Allow me to officially introduce you to the crew. I'm Monkey D. Ace. This is Roronoa Kuina, our navigator, and this is Roronoa Olivia, our doctor." He gestured to each in turn. "Girls, this is Roger. He's our new cook!" Roger wasn't surprised to hear another famous name among this crew. These were the daughters of the legendary demon swordsman, the pirate hunter and first mate of the Pirate King, Roronoa Zoro. By process of elimination, that would mean their mother had to be Nico Robin, the archeologist.

"It's nice to meet you all. Why are you two going on this adventure?" He looked at the twins questioningly. It was well known that each of the old Straw Hat Pirates had their own dreams and goals and reasons for following their captain.

"Because Ace is going. We're going for adventure's sake, and to make sure this idiot doesn't disappear without a trace. We're going to make our father proud. And we're going to bring back more history for our mother. And now, we're going to bring back the Great Age of Pirates!" Kuina laughed and nudged her captain, who only grinned.

"We're going because we're nakama, and we want to take our nakama to their dreams and stand beside them the whole way. We want to live free! Can you think of a better reason than that?" Olivia smiled warmly at him. He had to admit, it sounded like more than enough reason for him.

"Alright! Kuina, are we on course?" Ace turned to the girl at his side. She checked her compass and map, then nodded. "Olivia, can you grab something to wrap my hand? I got careless with the sword earlier. I've still got a lot to learn." He held out his hand for inspection, and Olivia jumped away and back, a roll of gauze in her hand. She wrapped his hand neatly, leaving him free to move. "Roger! Let's go see the island of Land Kings! Lets bring back the Great Age of Pirates! Let's find your father!" Ace laughed happily and leaped up to stand on the figurehead, looking every bit as confident as a dragon himself. "Let's go shake the world!"

* * *

_**Chapter 2! So, i bet most of you can take a wild stab in the dark at who Roger's father is. Reviews are always appreciated (as long as you sign in so i can respond). **_


	3. The Reaper of Souls

"Is that it?" Ace looked at Kuina for confirmation. They were in the right area. She looked back at her compass, then double checked the map one last time before nodding.

"It should be. We won't know for sure until we go on shore. What do you want to do?" Kuina rolled up the map and looked at her captain.

"Drop anchor here. We'll take the small boat to shore. If anything happens, you three get back here immediately. The ship and boat are both lined with Sea Stone, so they should be safe even if there are Sea Kings around." Ace waved to Olivia. "Take up the sails! Roger, drop anchor and grab your sword, we're going ashore!"

The four pirates went about the ship, securing it in place, lowering the small boat, gathering weapons and food, and finally leaving the ship. They paddled the last several meters to shore, stepping cautiously up onto the sand. The island was covered with tall, thin trees, hung thick with vines. No sunlight reached the mossy floor of the forest, despite the large gaps between the trees.

Ace stopped and closed his eye. The twins waited patiently as Roger pulled the boat up on shore and tied it to a nearby tree. Ace opened his eyes and turned to his crew.

"I don't feel anything nearby. The middle of the island dips down pretty low, though, so I can't tell what may be down there. Lets go check it out! Olivia, Roger, you go that way. Kuina, come with me. We'll circle around the island and meet up on the far side, then cross back together through the center. If either group finds anything, their twin jumps to the other as fast as possible and tell where to meet up." The others nodded and broke into the specified pairs. Olivia seemed less reluctant to leave her sister's side than usual.

Two hours of hiking just within the edge of the forest found the four pirates meeting back up at the far side of the island. Kuina took out her map and scribbled some notes. She guessed the island was about twelve miles around. A little under four miles across, on average. They stood for a while, looking off into the forest. Kuina checked her compass and pointed in the direction they needed to go in.

"Keep the sun on your left, and if worse comes to worse, get to the edge of the island and walk around the edge till you find the boat. Try not to get split up though. We stand a better chance as a group." Kuina directed them. Ace nodded in agreement. They began to walk into the dark interior of the island.

It wasn't long before they found the drop off Ace had sensed, the land slopping sharply, leading down into a more open piece of forest, where the afternoon sunlight peaked through the tree tops in many places. They also found enormous trampled patches of tall grass that resembled...

"Nests. These look like giant bird nests." Olivia looked at the nearest one, finding nothing in it except a few brittle scales. She moved back a bit. "We should not disturb them. Whatever owns them might not be happy if we do." She looked around, wondering if they were being watched. They continued on, passing hundreds of these nests. "They must not be very territorial. They must be able to hunt in the water. There is no way this island could support this many creatures this big."

"If that's true, we should hurry. They may come ashore to sleep." Kuina suggested. The others agreed and they picked up the pace.

Near the center of the island, they found the remains of what might have once been a castle. It had long since become uninhabited. All the wood, from the doors to the furniture, had rotted away long ago. Plants were sprouting from every crack, wrapping the fractured stones in vines and moss. Roger stopped when his foot hit something metal. He bent down and carefully pulled the artifact from the tangle of greenery. It was a beautiful silver dagger, carved with intricate detail. It was too dirty to make out anything specific.

A few yards away, Ace was pushing a heavy slab of stone to the side, revealing a well preserved flight of stone stairs that led down into the ground.

"Olivia, did you bring stuff to start a fire? There's a torch here." Ace pulled an ancient torch from it's spot on the wall. The handle was metal and may have once had a wooden handle, but that had long since been eaten away by time. The doctor handed him a chunk of flint and a roll of thicker bandages. He wrapped the metal a few layers thick, then struck the stone off his knife. The torch burst into flames as if it were brand new.

"Lead the way, Captain." Kuina looked down into the dark hole with a little unease. It was the first time he had seen the girl look uncomfortable. She hadn't given any indication of being afraid of the dark while they had sailed here. Maybe it was something she expected to be in the dark? His suspicions were confirmed when a spider crawled over her foot and she immediately jumped to the top of what may have once been a wall, glaring at the ground as if it had betrayed her.

"Come on Sis! The spiders probably haven't been down here in ages. It was nearly air tight when he unsealed it!" Olivia happily descended the stairs behind Ace. Roger followed her, and reluctantly, Kuina brought up the rear. The stairs ended in a large circular room. Around the edges where stone divisions which probably had wooden lids once. Inside these segments were various tools that looked as ornate as the silver dagger.

"Whoa, look at this!" Ace lifted a pair of spiked gauntlets from one of the structures and held it up in the light. He raised an eyebrow. "Hey guys, what do you make of this?" He held out the artifact and indicated a thick loop of metal. It looked like it was meant to be attached to something. Olivia began to squirm and look around uneasily.

"This was for living sacrifices... Look, the table in the middle has the same loops. These were probably attached to the victim or volunteer, then they were chained to the table so they could escape or change their minds... That would explain the ceremonial daggers." Olivia pointed to the knife I had stuffed into my belt. I felt a little less sure of keeping it now.

"Doesn't really matter anymore though. They're all dead or gone now. We should keep looking. There might be something worth keeping." Kuina walked over to a division that was reflecting the torchlight. "Hey, this one is full of oil. Think it is for fire?"

Olivia walked over and looked around. There was no indication of what the oil had been used for. She looked up and saw a small hole above the section. "There! The oil must come in through there. Then there must be a way to drain what is in here... Ha!" She found a piece of soft clay jammed into a hole at the bottom. She took one of the daggers and dug it out. Immediately, the surface of the oil began to lower.

"There's something in there!" Ace pointed into the section as the edge of something came into view. It was a large, rectangular chunk of stone. His face fell. It was a bit disappointing. He lifted it up and looked it over. "Pretty light for a rock." The oil on the stone let the object in question slip from his hand and shatter on the ground, revealing a perfectly preserved book inside. Kuina grinned and ran over, picking it up before the oil could touch it.

"It must have been packed in clay and then submerged. I wonder what's in here that they thought was so important to preserve!" The twins huddled over the book, carefully working the pages open. Soon they closed it. "We can't read it... We'll have to take it with us. Maybe Mom can read this." Olivia slipped the book carefully into her bag.

"Oi! Gold!" Ace leaped up and down, pointing into a side tunnel. The others ran to his side and saw that there was indeed a sizable pile of gold, all stamped into uniform coins. "Yosh! This is great! Kuina, did you bring a spare bag?" He turned to his navigator to find her already holding out a bag for him. He grinned and took it.

It took him several minutes to shovel as much as he could carry into the bag, and two others like it that the navigator had thought to bring. They had made quite a haul already. They searched the rest of the side chambers, but they seemed to have been used more for meetings and storage of perishable items.

When they finally stepped out of the pit, the castle's ruins were illuminated by a bright full moon. They had been underground for far longer than they intended. Ace and Kuina walked over to one of the more intact stair cases and ascended to the top of the wall, looking around. They immediately dropped down and motioned for their companions to do the same. Roger crouched down and Olivia jumped to her sister's side in an instant, gasping quietly when she looked around.

The castle was surrounded by sleeping monsters. Many looked like Sea Kings that had grown legs, while some resembled the figurehead of their ship. A few had wings. All of them were large enough to swallow all four of them whole. Roger remained crouched in the entrance to the tunnel, considering whether to descend again, or make a quiet dash to his friends.

One of the creatures sniffed, then opened it's eyes. He froze and watched as it looked around lazily, then locked its gaze on him. It sniffed again, then raised itself to its feet, moving toward him with the hypnotic sway of a snake. He saw it lung, leaping toward him faster than he could have imagined, then he was on the wall, Olivia's arms around him. He looked back at the tunnel entrance which had been smashed in the jaws of the beast. All around them the creatures were stirring now.

"Liv, I didn't know you could jump other people with you!" Kuina looked at her sister, who was just as surprised by the action as she was. Roger, for one, was not going to question the trick that had just saved him from becoming a midnight snack.

"Do you think you two can get us to the ship like that?" Ace looked at the twins. They looked at each other, then back at him. They shrugged.

"Maybe." They both replied in unison. They each grabbed an arm, and with a small lurch of their stomachs, Ace and Roger were whisked away from the prowling creatures.

* * *

They stood on the shore, watching as towering trees shook with the fury of the beasts living among them.

"We need to get back to the ship." Ace looked out at the waves. The Legacy Storm floated where they had left it. "We should get away from this island before they get in the water. We won't stand a chance if they catch us." Ace took a step toward the shore, then fell to his knees, shaking.

"Ace! What's wrong?!" Kuina was at his side in an instant. He shook his head and forced himself to his feet just in time for Roger to collapse.

"It must be from us jumping with you... We've never practiced something like that before... Kuina! What if they are seriously hurt?! What if we left something important like a kidney behind!?" The young doctor was wide eyed and frantic, unable to decide which crew mate to see to first.

"If we did, they would be in serious pain. They're just disorientated. We need to get them back to the ship! Help me get the boat back in the water, Liv!" Kuina ran to the small boat and began dragging it toward the shore. Her sister joined her, still glancing at the two men with concern.

Between the two of them, they managed to get both men onto the boat and paddle it back to the ship. By then, the two had recovered enough to climb the ladder and collapse on the deck.

"How can you two stand to do that so often? It's like being dizzy, only a hundred times worse..." Roger leaned his back against the railing and shuddered involuntarily. "Thanks... You saved our lives."

"You did great. Now we know that in a pinch, you have one more trick up your sleeves. Hey... Where are the bags?" Ace looked around. Kuina and Olivia blinked, then looked back at the island in horror.

"No... No! We have to go back! Come on Sis! We have to get that book!" Olivia was already at the railing when Ace caught her arm.

"Wait. We'll stay the night here, then go back in the morning when the creatures are out at sea. The ship is coated, so we should be fine here. And we are ALL going back. I'm not letting my nakama go into danger like that alone." Ace let her go when she relaxed and stepped back from the edge.

"He's right, Liv. We can jump, but we can't sense what's coming. Those things are fast and they know this forest inside and out. We'd be eaten alive and never see it coming." Kuina sat down on the deck with her captain and let out a sigh. "We left the gold too..."

"Get some rest, everyone. We'll get everything back in the morning." Ace yawned and struggled to his feet, taking a few deep breathes to steady himself before slowly making his way to his cabin. Roger tried to stand, but immediately slumped back.

"I think I'll sleep here. My legs still aren't up to holding their own weight, much less mine." The red haired pirate sighed and looked up at the bright moon. "Good night, girls." He smiled and closed his eyes, relaxing against the railing.

"Idiot. You'll fall overboard and get eaten. Here. I'll help you." Kuina slid an arm under his and began helping him up when her sister appeared under his other arm.

"Go to sleep, Sis. I'll take care of him. I took shorter jumps, so it's my fault he's in this condition. Don't worry. I can handle it." Olivia smiled reassuringly as her sister left for their room. "How are you feeling, Roger?"

"Not so bad. Nothing compared to when we were on the beach. Thanks again, for saving me." Roger did his best to make the journey to his room as easy as possible on the young doctor. Mostly, all he could do was not fight her.

"What kind of doctor would I be if I didn't do everything I could to save a life? Especially the life of one of my nakama." Olivia grinned happily at him as he sat heavily on his bed. He was reluctant to watch her go, but her knew they both needed sleep if they were going back onto that island in the morning. "Sleep well, Roger."

"Night, Olivia." He fell back onto his pillow. He was asleep before he could pull his blanket up.

* * *

"Don't bring anything you don't need. There is no way we can fight these things, and we have a pretty good idea of what to expect on the island. No matter what, stay with your partner. Don't jump unless you have to though. We may need to be in good enough shape to sail as soon as we hit the deck." Ace addressed his crew as they tied their boat on the shore once again.

The trip to the ruins felt far longer when they weren't running for their lives. They made their way carefully down the incline. Olivia noticed the damage first.

"It looks like all hell broke loose when we escaped... These trees are shredded. The ground is torn up. The nests are mangled. I hope that our bags are still in one piece..." The doctor looked at the castle remains as they came into sight. "It looks like they left the ruins alone."

"I wonder why, though?" Roger was staying close by her side, keeping a look out on all sides. There were no signs that any of the creatures where still around, but he wasn't taking any chances.

"The sacrifices. The place makes them nervous. They didn't want to go near it more than they had to. The one that tried to eat Roger was back outside the walls as soon as it realized he had escaped. They can probably smell the old blood." Ace touched one of the stone walls as they reached the castle.

"Did your grandfather teach you to talk to Sea Kings too?" Kuina joked with him, leading the way to the wall they had been hiding on. Their bags were still there. She sighed with relief. "There! Three bags of gold, one ancient book, a few interesting artifacts, and my compass and map. Just where we left them."

"Great! Grab the stuff, and let's get out of here. I want to be on our way before the Sea Kings are done with breakfast." Ace picked up the three bags of gold with one hand. They had to each weigh a hundred pounds, with all the gold he had piled into them. Well, Roger decided that if he was going to reach Raftel, where only two crews had ever succeeded, he needed to be strong.

"Hold it." The four pirates turned to the voice. There, sitting atop the rubble of what used to lead to the sacrificial chamber, was a man of the same age as Roger. He had dark hair, and piercing green eyes. He was unarmed, but after watching Ace, none of them believed that meant he wasn't dangerous.

"Who are you?" Kuina addressed the man.

"I'm the Reaper. Now... What the hell did you do to set the Sea Kings off like that?" The man gestured to the surrounding forest.

"We decided we weren't on the menu and they didn't like it." Roger spoke up, not sure why the man seemed to be accusing them for not being eaten.

"They hunt all day. They weren't that hungry. They wanted you dead bad enough to enter the castle. I've killed seven of them, and they have never followed me in here." The man stood up and began to walk toward them. "You took something from down there that they would much rather have stayed put."

"What do they care if we took some old artifacts? It isn't like they're using them. And what do you mean? How have you killed these things? They're huge, and you don't have a weapon." Kuina was glaring at him now. He didn't falter.

"The gold has "purified" with the blood of Sea Kings during the height of this kingdom. They had a ritual in which they would give a man or woman the power of a Devil's Fruit, then sacrifice them, along with a baby Sea King in order to create dragons. I don't know much more than that, but I do know that they destroyed this kingdom, and they stay here to keep that ritual from reaching the world again. They are protecting their children from the real monsters." The man who called himself the Reaper stopped a few yards in front of them.

"How do you know all this?" Ace asked.

"Where I was born, we heard legends about this island and the kingdom that once lived here. My people were descended from a group that left long ago, believing the ritual to be wrong. They passed on the story as a cautionary tail. Unless you mean to make an enemy of every Sea King in the world, I suggest you return whatever you took." He pointed to the bags, then gestured to the rubble.

"We can leave the gold and artifacts, but this book is important. It was sealed in clay and oil. They shouldn't be able to recognize it's scent." Olivia held the bag to her chest, unwilling to part with the book.

"Suit yourself. Where are you going to go after this though?"

"We're going to travel the world. And we're starting with the Grand Line!" Ace grinned. The man raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And how are four fools who nearly made an enemy of the sea itself going to accomplish that?"

"We're going to gather a crew and we're going to discover the secrets of the world! If we can't proceed, we'll just get stronger until we can!" Ace didn't seem daunted by the task ahead.

"Discover the secrets of the world? Some secrets are better left buried. Give up. The only thing waiting for you out there is death. Sea Kings, Pirates of the New Age, Marines, and a monster you can't even imagine. If you aren't going to kill, then you are going to be killed." The man scowled at them, but Ace didn't back down.

"My dream and my nakama are worth dying for. Who are you going to kill then?" Ace held the Reaper's gaze.

"Whoever I have to." The Reaper grinned suddenly, looking like he had lost his mind. "That includes you, if you get in my way!"

"The Sea Kings are coming back. We've got to go." Ace turned to his crew and motioned for them to follow him. The Reaper just raised an eyebrow.

"It's the middle of the day. They never come on land before sunset." He watched them follow their leader without question. They were not long out of sight when he heard the scraping of claws and scales approaching. How had that pirate known? The Reaper followed after the pirates.

They had barely stepped out of the trees when an enormous tail swept across the beach. Ace leaped in an instant, but had no time to yell a warning to his crew. Roger, Kuina, and Olivia were rolled across the sand like toys. When they came to a stop, none of them were moving. Ace looked around and saw the enormous snake-like Sea King coiled on the sand, staring at him.

As it lunged, he armed his leg with haki and kicked the side of it's head with all he had. It barely noticed. His blow didn't even knock it's strike off course. He saw it coming in his mind's eye, but there was nothing he could do about it. The creature's tail caught him in the middle of the back, driving the wind from his lungs and tossing him to the water's edge.

The beast was prowling over him, when the Reaper finally appeared. The man ran from the forest, a long steel pole in his hand. At the end was a curved blade. A scythe. He spun the weapon as he slid under the monster's tail and brought the blade across it's throat, tearing more than half way through it's neck.

As the monster collapsed, his weapon seemed to disappear. Ace was still disorientated, and could not be sure. The man walked closer and stood over him, watching to see what would happen.

"How did you know they were coming?"

"Haki." Ace got to his feet and then ran to his friends, ignoring the questioning look of the Reaper. "Roger? Kuina? Olivia? Are you alright?" He rolled them each onto their backs. They were all still breathing. Roger coughed and opened his eyes. He tried to sit up, but fell back in pain. He had taken the full force of the hit.

"I think some ribs are broken..." Roger panted and let his head fall back. "Are the girls okay?"

"They're still breathing." Ace turned to the twins and tried to wake them. Olivia came to first. She winced, but was able to move. She went to her sister first, checking her from head to toe.

"She's just knocked out. She should be fine, but we need to get her to the ship." She moved to Roger next and winced in sympathy when she felt his ribs. "Definitely four broken. Maybe more cracked, but I can't tell here. Arms and legs are fine. I'll get a stretcher from the ship. We need to keep him laying down until I can treat him."

The Reaper watched as the crew went about this. He was about to leave them when Ace's head turned to him.

"Reaper! Drop!" Ace shouted at him frantically.

Without bothering to ask, the Reaper let his knees collapse beneath him. An enormous set of fangs closed where his head had been. He stared up at the Sea King and rolled out of the way.

Ace watches as the man seems to pull his scythe from empty air and rise to his feet, going on the offensive. The Sea King is beaten back in moments, and then it's head is severed. Whoever the man is, he is a terrifyingly vicious and merciless fighter.

While the man was fighting, Olivia had fetched a stretcher, and Ace helped her carefully move Roger onto it. Kuina finally groaned and sat up, looking at the man holding the scythe, the two dead Sea Kings, and then her injured nakama.

The Reaper came to stand next to them.

"Why are you risking yourselves to help him?" Three pairs of eyes turned to stare at the man in disbelief.

"You saved me, at your own risk." Ace pointed out.

"Only so I could find out how you knew the creatures were coming. Everyone acts for their own gain. At least everyone who's alive now." The Reaper leaned on his scythe, not bothering to hide it anymore.

"He's our nakama. That's all the reason we need to help him." Olivia stood up, glaring at the man.

"You think you will survive the Grand Line with an attitude like that?"

"Yes. We wouldn't be the first. The Pirate King valued his nakama more than anything." Kuina stood next to her sister.

"And he ended up dead, now didn't he?" The Reaper continued scowling at them.

"He chose his death willingly. He died for his nakama, and most of them still live. He made it to the end of the Grand Line and back alive. Would you call him weak?" Ace smiled, unfazed by this man's low opinion of them.

"No. But his era is gone. People like that don't exist any more. The world tears them apart." The Reaper looked back at the forest. "I'm leaving. The next Sea King is your problem. See if your compassion will protect you then." He turned to walk away, but stopped at the pirate's next words.

"Join my crew. I'll show you that the Great Age of Pirates isn't dead yet. There are still men like the Pirate King in this world." Ace was looking at him, that smile still on his face. _The Pirate King carried on a will many thought had died long ago, but they were wrong. Another will always rise, carrying that same will. When you meet someone like that, you know it. You can feel it in your soul. I hope you will carry on that will._ Had his father been right?

"Who are you?" The reaper turned around to face the pirates again.

"I'm Monkey D. Ace. I'm the son of the Pirate King. I'm going to sail to the end of the Grand Line, and I am going to uncover all of the secrets of this world. I'm going to bring back the Great Age of Pirates!" Ace grinned.

"You... are his son?" The Reaper looked at the hat. It fit the description his father had given him, but he never imagined he would see it himself. "Your father... When he became the Pirate King, he spared my father's life. He told me stories for years about the man he respected above all others... For the life your father spared, I will join you. But if you prove me right, I will kill you all and send the ashes of your hat to the bottom of the sea!"

"Then help us get Roger onto the ship before more Sea Kings show up." Kuina didn't waste any time. Her and her sister picked up one end, while the Reaper joined Ace at the other. Between the four of them, it only took fifteen minutes to get the injured man into the medical wing.

"Thank you, Reaper." Olivia gave him a reluctant smile as she began treating her friend. He nodded and went back to the deck. Ace met him there.

"What happened to your father? The way you spoke, I know he's gone. I don't think you'd be out here killing Sea Kings if he were still alive, either." Ace was staring thoughtfully out over the sea.

"A few years ago, a monster appeared. It was like nothing I've seen before or since. It was as black as night. It was like a shadow given solid form. Its skin was hard as stone, and it's claws and teeth were like metal blades. It slaughtered both of my parents, and over two hundred others, most from our village, but also a pirate crew that had landed recently. There were a couple of the pirates that it didn't just kill. It stopped and devoured them entirely, bones and all. They... They were still alive when it began eating them." The Reaper gripped the railing tightly, glaring at the water as he remembered.

"I found out that the ones it devoured all had Devil's Fruit abilities. It was like it was trying to steal the powers the same way we get them from the fruit. The thing is, since then, I've been paying attention to Sea Kings, and I think that theory is right. I've seen some of them that seem to have abilities, but they are so powerful already, it is impossible to know for sure. I'm going to find that monster, and I am going to destroy it. And then I am going to find where it came from, and who is responsible for creating it, and I will tear them apart." He was beginning to shake with rage when Ace put a hand on his shoulder.

"You're not alone anymore. How long has it been just you, seeking revenge alone?" Ace waited calmly.

"Ten years. I was only ten years old when my parents were slaughtered. That was when I set out to avenge them. Two years later, I began fighting with a scythe, and earned the name Reaper. That same year, I finally found a Devil's Fruit. I ate it, hoping to gain the strength to kill this monster, and all I got was a convenience! My ability? I can store things in no space. Can you slay monsters with that? Not hardly." He turned and slumped down with his back to the railing. Ace sat beside him.

"What's your real name?" Ace kicked his sandals off his feet and stretched.

"Soul. Ironic, isn't it? The man called The Reaper of Souls, and a Soulless Demon, is actually named Soul? It seems my father misnamed me. I'll gladly give up my soul to see that monster and whoever created it burn." Soul reached into nowhere and pulled out an Eternal Pose. He checked where the needle was pointing, then shoved it back into the hidden pocket.

"Where does that point? Your home?" Ace gestured to the space where the Pose had disappeared.

"No... It doesn't really point anywhere. It's broken. The one thing I have never been able to fix... I don't know why I keep it. Maybe I'm hoping someday it will finally point the way to where I belong. I don't belong on your crew, you know. I'm not like you all. I'm heartless. I have to be. I don't have a dream. I just have a goal. As soon as my path leads away from you, I won't hesitate to leave." Soul looked at the man he had just met.

"Everyone has dreams. Maybe you just don't sleep enough." Ace barely let his lip curl upward, but he saw Soul grin silently. "You can choose to stay or go when that time comes. But until then, I will consider you my nakama, and I will show you that this world isn't as dark as you think. Both of our fathers lived here after all, and they were good men. We can be good men too. It's a choice you can still make."

"A good man wouldn't do what I need to do. Good men don't seek revenge. You... I see what my father meant, when he spoke about the Pirate King now. There's something... different about you. Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you'll be a good man. But I can't believe that. Not now. If there are good men out there, then I really am a demon. If the World Government's corruption, and the Marines' conspiracies, and the pirates' greed and cruelty and betrayal are all there is, then I can pursue my goal without guilt. But if you're right... If I am choosing that world, when it isn't the only path... I don't deserve my father." Soul leaned his head back and closed his eyes, clenching them tight.

"Only time will tell. There is no point condemning yourself now. Wait until you see the truth. Then you can make the choice." Ace stood up and offered a hand to his new crew mate. "What sort of skills do you have besides fighting?"

"I'm an engineer. My father was a pirate, then a marine, but my grandfather, and the rest of my family have all been craftsmen and inventors." Soul accepted the hand and rose to his feet.

"Do you think you can be a shipwright, until we part ways? This ship... It is more a machine really. It's got more secrets than we'll probably ever find. My father's ship was built in under a week. This one was under construction for two years. I want to take care of it, but I don't have the skills to do that. Do you?" Ace met the man's gaze. Soul looked around the ship, taking in all the details. He smiled, happily, for the first time since they had met.

"Yes. I can do that much for you, Straw Hat." Soul shook the hand of his captain, and went to explore his new home.

* * *

_**So, i wonder what you all think of Soul. He's the first 100% original character. Even his heritage is original, unlike the others, who are all children of the previous generation of pirates. I'm interested to hear what you all think about him!**_


	4. A Good Man's Dream

"Hey Reaper, how did you get to this island to begin with?" Kuina asked her new crew mate the next morning.

"It's Soul, and I'll tell you my secret when you explain you and your twin's ability." The shipwright smirked at the irritated face the girl made.

"Alright, _Soul_, but maybe you'd like a little demonstration?" Without another word, she grabbed his wrist and jumped them to the deck. Ace turned to her as they appeared and gave her a disapproving look. She shrugged. "He asked."

"That's very interesting..." Soul then fell to his knees and threw up over the railing.

"Now it's your turn." Kuina stood expectantly. Soul recovered quickly and pulled a small boat out of nowhere. It was barely big enough for one man, and it had no sail. "You travel on this? How?"

"Watch and learn, Navigator." He shoved the boat into nowhere again, then leaped off the side of the boat. Before he hit the water, he pulled it back out and landed in it lightly. He stood in it and carefully positioned his feet. He grinned up at the two confused faces looking over the railing, and took off in a spray of water.

"That is so cool! Is that a waver?" Ace yelled down as the vehicle came to rest bellow them again.

"Actually, I don't know exactly what it is. I found it on an island on the Grand Line a few years ago and modified it. It had "Striker" carved into the wood inside, so I guess that is all I can call it. It works like a waver though. It is Dial powered, at least. But it is far more advanced than any waver you'll ever find." Soul grabbed the ladder and the boat vanished. He climbed up to the deck.

"What makes it so much more advanced?" Kuina tried not to sound as impressed as she felt.

"This thing has five different propulsion systems working on different controls, all at my feet. Normally, it runs on ordinary Breath Dials, like a waver. But in a pinch, I have other options. It has a set of Jet Dials for speed, a set of Breath Dials filled with flammable gas and Flame Dials for acceleration, and it has a set each of Impact Dials and Reject Dials for emergency escapes." Soul grinned as Kuina stared in amazement.

"You use that to cross the Calm Belts, so it must be coated too, right?" Ace looked at the surrounding water. "Otherwise you would have been less willing to go out near this island."

"You're pretty observant. Yeah. It's coated. Your ship must be too, or we would have been eaten already." Soul pulled an apple from thin air and bit into it. "I looked over the controls down below. This thing is a miracle of engineering! It would take me years to figure out what all tricks it has in it!"

"Then maybe you'll stay with us till you do." Ace smiled and walked toward the kitchen, where Olivia was preparing lunch at Roger's directions.

Soul sat on the edge of the railing, looking back at the island. A low flying bird caught his attention. His head followed it as it came down and finally landed on the upper deck's railing. Kuina ran to it and pulled some money from her pocket. She held up the cash, and the bird took it in it's beak, while releasing the bundle in it's talons. A newspaper.

Soul walked over and took a look at the front page. He grinned.

"My bounty went up again. Must be that marine battleship I trashed. 65,000,000 beli... Not bad!" Soul read off the number under his picture. Kuina's eyes widened as she looked to see that he was right.

"What do you mean by "trashed" a marine battleship?" The navigator gave him a cautious glance.

"I slaughtered the fifty men on board, systematically destroyed the controls and weapons on the ship, took everything of value, and let it drift off with my name painted in blood on the deck. I thought it would send a clear message." Soul laughed at the shocked and disgusted look on her face. "They are not worth pitying, Navigator! Their goals and mine were at odds, so one had to give. I was stronger."

"You would kill anyone to get where you want to be, wouldn't you?" She folded the newspaper and stuffed it under her arm.

"They do the same. If I don't want to die, I have to kill. I've never killed someone who didn't stand in my way. I don't go out looking for people to slaughter like the government or marines or pirates do." Soul finished his apple and tossed the remains off into the sea. They were eaten by a passing fish within seconds.

"The Pirate King avoided killing any time he could. He beat the living hell out of anyone who tried to hurt his friends, but he rarely killed. Not unless it was clear that that was the only way to protect his crew." Kuina walked away to deliver the paper to her nakama, leaving Soul alone on the deck.

"Soul! Lunch is ready! Come eat!" Olivia called to him from the kitchen, a smile on her face as usual. Soul wondered how she could be so much nicer than her twin when they were so similar in every way.

The shipwright nodded to her and walked toward the kitchen.

* * *

"Shimotsuki Village?" Soul asked.

"Yes. That's where the twins' father was born and raised. From there we are going to Loguetown, then on to the Grand Line!" Ace grinned happily as he traced their intended course on the map between them

"Loguetown... I've always wanted to visit that place." Soul looked thoughtful. "I remember my father told me once that it was an incredible place. Most people think of it as the end of the two Pirate Kings, but he always thought of it as their beginning. That was where your father first walked in the same footsteps as his predecessor." Soul looked up at the captain.

"I know. That's why we're going there. I want to see the place where they started. I want to start there myself!" Ace turned to Kuina. "Set us on course. We've been here long enough. If that book were going to make us an enemy of the sea, they would have come after us by now."

Kuina nodded and jumped out of the room. Roger was in better condition. He was still in pain, but he was able to sit up, and he could walk with help, so he was present at the meeting. At first he had been against allowing the "demon" to join the crew, but Olivia had changed that. _Roger... Both of my parents were called demons in their time. My father pursued his dream with honor, and my mother's only crime was living when the government wanted her to die. _He hadn't said a word against Soul after that. The shipwright was growing far more fond of the doctor by the day.

"Soul, why did you come to this island? Was it really just to study Sea Kings, or did it have something to do with that sacrificial chamber?" Olivia addressed the man.

"I've been hearing whispers that there is something even bigger than the World Government pulling our strings. Something older than anything we can imagine. I came across a book, but I could only decipher part of it. It was badly damaged by fire and water. It must have been meant as a story book, so I must sound like a fool for following it, but some of the parts I read seemed eerily similar to things that happened decades after it was written, if not centuries. It led me here." Soul reached up and pulled a ragged book from nowhere.

"May I see it? My mother was an amazing archeologist and historian. I was focused on becoming a doctor, but I did pick up a few things." Olivia carefully took the book and examined it. She glanced up at the door. "Sis... I know you want to look too. Stop being stubborn and try to get along with him."

Soul looked behind him to see Kuina glaring at her sister as she reluctantly walked into the room and sat between them. She looked over the book, and soon her focus was completely directed at it's pages. It didn't take very long for them to turn back to him.

"This is ancient. This style of writing... It is from the Void Century! Does anyone know you have this?" Olivia was wide eyed as she reverently returned the book to him. He shook his head and pressed it back toward her.

"No one knows. I found it in West Blue on a deserted and destroyed island. It had been bombarded to rubble and ash. It was like a nightmare, really. And right in the middle of the island, there was a lake full of burnt books, and I picked this one up. You keep it. I memorized all I could get out of it." Soul smiled at the girl as she held the book to her chest.

"When we get to Shimotsuki Village, we'll send both books back to our mother. She'll be able to get more out of them than anyone else alive." Olivia was grinning happily. Kuina even let her scowl lighten. Maybe Soul wouldn't wake up on a piece of drift wood on the ocean after all.

"I'm going to go make sure we're still on course. The wind is pretty strong today, we're making good time." Kuina was gone in an instant.

"Roger, it's time for me to check your ribs. Come on." Olivia helped her friend to his feet and the two left the kitchen. Soul glanced at Ace to find him leaned comfortably into the corner with his hat over his eyes.

"There is no need to tip my chair, I am awake." Ace grinned, eyes still covered, as Soul jumped.

"That is both cool and creepy. Can you teach me?" Soul asked.

"No... I am still learning myself. You should learn from someone who has mastered it. Maybe we'll meet someone who can teach you on our journey. Roger and the twins could learn too." Ace commented.

"It would be helpful. Being able to see things coming... I might have been able to save my parents." Soul sighed and shook his head. No point dwelling on something impossible. "I'm going to go see if there is anything I can do to help out there. I think this thing has a secondary propulsion system, like my Striker. I'd like to figure out how it works, in case we need to cross the calm belt."

* * *

"Good to see you on your feet again, Roger. Feeling up to a little exercise?" Ace held out a sword to the newly recovered cook. He smiled and took the hilt, swinging the blade a few times to see how his body was responding.

"Yeah... I think I'm up for a little." Roger stood at the ready in front of his captain. The twins jumped to the upper deck and sat with their legs dangling between the rails. Olivia glanced around and saw Soul sitting near the figurehead.

"Soul! Get over hear and watch with us!" The doctor called out. Her sister barely let her smile shrink. She was beginning to accept him. He walked past his captain and cook, raising an eyebrow at the pair as he climbed up to sit by the twins. "Ace has been teaching Roger to use a sword, and using him as a sparing partner for his own training since we picked him up."

Soul watched in fascination as the two went at each other, blade to hand. It was like nothing he had ever seen. It didn't take long for Roger to hold up his hands for a break. He was still weak from his injuries, but he was much better than he had been. Soul leaped off the top deck and landed before his captain, pulling his scythe from empty space.

"Mind if I have a go?" Soul grinned as his captain dropped back into a defensive stance. He took that as his invitation. He spun the pole expertly and began his attack. After twenty minutes of combat, both fighters backed away from each other. Ace was panting. Soul was staring in disbelief. "How the hell can you stand up to an attack like that?"

"I haven't been run that ragged since my last day of training with my grandfather..." Ace walked into the kitchen and dropped into the nearest chair. "I need to become stronger."

"No one has ever been able to fight against me, even armed to the teeth. What you do isn't human." Soul sat across from him, as the rest of the stunned crew came and sat around them. They hadn't imagined there were people out there that could best their captain one on one.

"People said similar things about my father, I believe. They called him a monster. His strength was beyond legend. Mom said he toppled a god once... Not many people outside their crew knew about that." Ace caught his breath and grinned. "Until I can defeat anyone and anything that could harm my nakama, I'm not strong enough."

"Son of the Pirate King, if anyone can become that strong, I'd bet on you." Soul shook his head in wonder. "How close are we to Shimotsuki Village?" He turned to Kuina.

"We're still a few days out." The navigator checked her map, then pointed. "We're about here." Soul looked at the map and nodded.

"I've been checking out our emergency propulsion system, and I think I might be able to improve it a little. I need to get some materials though." Soul pulled a rolled up piece of paper from the air and smoothed it out before his crew mates. "If I add in breath dials to store the cola and air, I can control the mixture and optimize space and thrust." He was smiling again. Not his usual humorless grin, but an actual smile. He showed them the current design of the Coup De Burst system, and his proposed change. Ace nodded.

"I trust you. We'll pick up what we can on the island, but have you checked the workshop? It is supposed to be fully stocked. You're welcome to use anything in there." Ace gestured in the direction of the workshop below deck. Soul was out of the room so fast he could have been taking lessons from the twins.

Several hours later, Olivia found him smiling and humming happily as he worked diligently on some device far beyond her understanding.

"Soul, dinner's ready. Want me to bring you some?" She laughed at the contentment the cynical man showed when he was working. He turned and shook his head, setting down his tools and following her. As they walked she asked something that had been on her mind. "Why are you so much happier when you are working with stuff like that than you are with the crew?"

"I've preferred the company of machines to that of people for years. Machines are... reliable. They are honest. I guess I've just never seen a machine stab another in the back before." Soul gave her a sad smile and glanced back at the room they just left. "I'll be able to make some unimaginable things in there! Even my family's shop didn't have some of the things you've got!"

"I'm glad there's somewhere on the ship you can really smile. But... Have you seen any of us stab anyone in the back?" She gave him a slightly hurt look. He shook his head.

"I still don't know what to make of you all. Especially your captain..." Soul tried to give her a reassuring smile as they stepped out onto the deck. She was far to kind to have her happiness taken away by someone like him.

* * *

"Roger! Soul! We're here!" Ace called out from the deck. Roger yawned as he walked out of the sleeping quarters. Soul came from the workshop. He spent most of his time there, eating, sleeping, or sparring. He rarely joined his crew mates the rest of the time.

"Where are the twins?" Roger looked around for his missing nakama.

"They already went ashore. They couldn't wait. Here's some money. Make sure to get enough food to get us to Loguetown, Roger. Soul, anything you need for the workshop, feel free." Ace was about to turn away when Soul laughed.

"I think I should stay on the ship. I'm a wanted man, remember? Don't want to go making a scene while Olivia and Kuina are trying to have civilized conversations. I don't think there is anything here that we don't already have anyway. Give my share to the cook. Just be sure to get some apples." Soul looked at Roger, who nodded. The scythe fighter was growing on them, even if the feeling wasn't mutual.

"No way. You're coming with us. You're our nakama." Ace grinned and waited for Soul to reluctantly join them on the deck. "Don't worry so much."

The three pirates walked through the streets of the town, looking in shop windows. Soul found himself enjoying the trip when he stumbled across a trading post that had some unexpectedly rare Dials. He waited until they were out of sight of any people on the street before stuffing his purchase out of view.

"Thanks for dragging me out here. I've never seen a set of Transmission Dials before. I can't wait to try these out!" Soul grinned as he walked down the street next to his captain, imagining the possible uses for his new equipment.

"No problem. How are you going to see that there are good people in the world if you never go out and see them?" Ace laughed.

Some time later, the twins joined them. The five pirates walked through the last few streets before returning to their ship for the evening. Roger prepared a large meal with the freshest ingredients, and they all watched in wonder as Soul showed off his new Dials. He held one up over Kuina's head, pointed down, showing it to be empty. He held the other, open end up, in the sink. Roger flicked the water on with a grin.

"Ah!" Kuina yelped as a fountain of water poured out of the empty Dial and onto her head. The rest of the crew laughed. She scowled, but couldn't help but let a smile crack through. She grabbed the dial and blew into it, causing the water in the sink to splash back and drench the cook. They all began laughing again, Roger just shrugging at the sudden bath.

They spent a few hours playing with the Dials. They talked into one and listened at the other, like a Den Den Mushi, and they held them, one over the other, and poured water into an unending loop, amazed at the possibilities.

The next morning, they all accompanied the twins to the man they had met the previous day. He was elderly, but healthy. It was clear he had taken care of himself throughout his life. He was very kind, greeting them politely, even knowing they were pirates.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all. These young ladies told me about you yesterday. My name is Koshiro." He invited them in and sat with them around a low table. "I knew Zoro when he was very young. He trained in this very building with my daughter, with whom this girl shares her name." He indicated Kuina. "They were very close friends and rivals."

"Do you know if he had any family here?" Olivia asked. The old man shook his head sadly.

"No. I believe he was an orphan. He never once spoke of any family, nor did I ever even hear rumors of where he may have come from before he came here." Koshiro sighed. "It is a shame. But if he had a family, he may never have become the greatest swordsman in the world. Whatever the case, I'm afraid I don't know more than that."

"It's alright. How did people take the news that you had helped train the world's greatest swordsman?" Ace asked curiously.

"There were... mixed reactions. Some thought it was fantastic and would turn to no one else, even though I repeatedly told them I only taught him the very basics, and he developed his own style and skills after that. Others considered me a demon for releasing him upon the world. I suppose they need someone to place the responsibility on, even if it is undeserved. I've learned to accept it, both good and bad." Koshiro smiled at them.

"That is just how some men think, I guess. It is hard to accept that sometimes there is nothing we can do to make something right. We just have to accept it, learn from it, and move forward." Ace replied to the elderly swordsman, but his eyes locked with Soul's for a moment. The shipwright looked away.

"It is true. But not everyone is like that. It is unfair to judge all men based on a few, just because those few are loud and prominent." The man's words seemed to seek out Soul as well, even though they were clearly not directed at him.

* * *

"Th-thank you! Thank you so much!" The woman on the ground bowed her head to the man as he stood there between her and the man that had assaulted her. "I... I don't have anything to offer you in payment..." She began shaking.

"Don't worry about it." Soul turned away from her and picked the man up from the ground, swinging him up onto his shoulder. He walked away from the sobbing woman he had just saved. Ace grinned at him. "What?"

"What was in that for you?" Ace raised an eyebrow.

"This guy's bounty." With that, Soul walked away from his captain, who only sighed and headed the opposite way, toward the ship. An hour later, the shipwright was back on board, a pained look on his face.

"Hey Soul. What's wrong?" Olivia sat next to him, her legs dangling off the edge of the ship.

"Your captain." Soul sighed and let his head fall forward, thumping gently into the railing.

"He's _our_ captain. What did he do?" Olivia asked, leaning forward to look at him in profile.

"I don't know." Soul turned to her slightly. "Is he ever wrong? Has he ever done something cruel or selfish? Has he ever shown himself to make mistakes?"

"Sure. Loads of times. We were always in trouble when we were kids. He and Sis and I would go on silly adventures throughout or village, causing all sorts of problems, mostly just for the fun of it. Selfish and cruel? No... not really. All he's ever cared about really is protecting us and proving that nothing is impossible. He's stolen before, but he never did it out of greed or malice. He did it just to see if he could manage it. He's a pretty weird pirate, I guess." Olivia smiled as she thought about some of their adventures.

"I saved a homeless woman today and turned the attacker in for his bounty. But I couldn't get Ace out of my head. I... I gave the bounty to the woman." Soul glared out at the water angrily.

"You act like that is a bad thing." Olivia laughed.

"I had told myself that no one would do something like that. It was foolish. No one would have blamed me for keeping the money. I had saved her life, free of charge. It was fair compensation. But I knew he would do it. I could feel it. The way he smiled when I saved her... He made me want to be a good man." Soul sighed in defeat. "How am I supposed to avenge my father if I am a good man?"

Olivia smiled quietly for a while, then turned to him and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly for just a moment before releasing him and scooting away again. She grinned at his shocked expression.

"I'm proud to call a good man like you my nakama. Getting your revenge will be easier this way, you know. My mother taught me that. She may not have always lived up to her own words, but I know Ace does. You can too." Olivia stood up slowly and offered a hand to the stunned shipwright. He took it and stood up as well.

"And how is that, Doctor?" Soul waited expectantly.

"She said, 'The best revenge is living well.'" Olivia patted the man on the arm and vanished, leaving him speechless on the deck.

* * *

They were on their third day at the island when things went wrong.

They hadn't expected to be attacked in the night. They had been careless.

When Soul awoke, his hands were already bound. He was dragged out onto the deck and tossed against the railing next to Olivia and Kuina. Moments later, Roger landed next to them.

"That's all I could find." One of the men called from the sleeping quarters.

"Alright, which one of you is in charge?" Another, the one who had dragged Soul to the deck addressed the four pirates. All four looked for Ace, but didn't say a word in response.

"Captain! That one! He's the Reaper! His bounty is 65 million beli!" Another man shouted, pointing at Soul. The captain of their attackers grinned.

"What about the rest? Are they worth anything?" He called back to the other man.

"Not that I know of. Never seen their faces before. They aren't even flying a flag. Crappy excuse for pirates in my opinion. Kill them all, toss these three overboard, and turn in the Reaper for his bounty, then sail away on this fancy ship?" The man laughed.

"That sounds about right. The Reaper, huh? I heard you were a demon, who would slaughter a baby in its crib for the fun of it. And here you are, leading a crew of your own? Do they know how expendable they are to you? If they were relaxed enough to let everyone sleep with you aboard, obviously not. Even my crew keeps someone on guard, just in case I feel like cutting a few throats in the night, and I'm an angel next to you." The enemy captain laughed as he walked back and forth before the captured pirates.

"I would never hurt them." Soul glared up at the man, who gave him a skeptical look.

"Is that so? Let's put that to the test." He pulled his pistol from his belt and positioned it directly between Olivia's eyes. "If you tell me to fire, I'll shoot her dead, and I'll let you go. How's that sound? You kill one pathetic girl like this, and you are free to go and slaughter villages again. I'm surprised this one is still standing."

"Go to hell! Shoot me and let them go!" Soul could barely believe his own words. What the hell had that straw hatted man done to him?

"What?! David, you must have gotten it wrong. There's no way this man is the Reaper." He laughed and slipped the pistol back into his belt, turning to the man.

"There's no way! I've seen his wanted poster a hundred times! It is definitely him! Maybe it's a trick?" The one called David looked nervous. It seemed likely that mistakes were punished violently on their ship.

"You! Are you the Reaper?" The man turned upon Soul again.

"Do you see a scythe?" Soul decided to try and buy time. Where was their captain?

"No, but they say only a handful have seen your scythe and survived." The man laughed and turned to his men. He pointed to a small group. "You guys! Grab your rifles and keep them locked on him. Don't fire until I say." With that, he yanked Soul to his feet and unlocked the cuffs around his wrists. Soul felt relief flood through him. He had his powers back.

"Captain?! What are you doing?! What if it is really him?!" His men were panicking. Soul was preparing for an accidental shot to take him down, but it didn't come.

"Alright, Reaper. You can escape. We'll let you go in peace, and we'll have our way with these lovely ladies. You make one move to attack us, and we'll shoot you down." The man grinned when Soul's face twisted in indecision.

He could make it. Even if they fired on him, they were shaking. Unless one of them got lucky, he could make it...

"Is it such a hard decision? I thought you were renowned for doing anything to achieve your goals? Or have you finally given up your murderous rampage? What a shame. Killing a man without a dream is almost a service to the world." The man raised his hand. The guns steadied on Soul's chest.

"I never had a dream before. Only a goal. But... Traveling with these pirates... I think I do have one now. Do you want to know what the dream of the Reaper is?" Soul stood resolutely before them, side stepping slowly to keep the gunfire away from the other three.

"Yeah. I'd sure as hell like to know what it is that would stop a man who has killed more men, women, and children than most full pirate crews do in their entire careers." The man kept his hand at the ready, waiting to order Soul's death.

"I really believed there was no such thing as a good man any more. But I think I've been proven wrong. My dream? My dream is to stand on the shore of Raftel, just like my father did, and watch a good man become the Pirate King! My dream is to see a man who would sacrifice himself for his nakama without hesitation take the throne! I want to see people bow to a king who will lead this world out of the darkness!" Soul smiled proudly, arms spread wide. With a flick of his power, he sent the sea stone cuffs of the twins into oblivion. In an instant, the enemy crew was alone, and looking around in confusion for the four pirates who had vanished before their eyes.

"Well, that is a relief." Ace grinned as the startled men turned their rifle toward him. He reached up and pushed the hat off his head so it dangled from it's string. He raised his gaze to meet theirs, eyes shining in the starlight. He leaped gracefully off the figurehead, where he had been concealed among the dragon's spikes while he slept.

"Who the hell are you? Stay out of this!" The enemy captain shouted at him, to no effect. Ace continued walking calmly toward them.

"My name is Monkey D. Ace. I'm the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. Get off my ship." Ace stopped a few yards before the thirty armed men.

"The Straw Hat pirates don't exist anymore." The man backed away slightly, trying to sound confident. No one bought it. Not even his own crew.

"Believe what you want. But you'll know the truth someday soon. Unless my first mate cuts you down. You did threaten his nakama, and he isn't as forgiving as I am." Ace let his smile fall and the fury of the Pirate King shown through his son's eyes. "This is your last chance to run, or I will not stop him from tearing you apart." Ace folded his arms across his chest. Without another word, half the enemy crew ran to the edge of the ship and leaped into the sea. The ones who remained seemed to be more afraid of their captain than their enemy.

"First mate, huh? I'm honored, Captain." Soul stepped out of the shadows of the stairway, his scythe catching the starlight as he spun it slowly. "You will make my dream come true?"

"Without a doubt." Ace nodded. Soul attacked.

* * *

_**Soul is officially the first mate! Ace has swayed his cynical view of the world, at least a little. I'm still eager for your reviews, and I still need a dedicated partner for this project. If you are interested, please PM me. Keep in mind this is more than beta reading, this is discussion about possible new characters, Devil's Fruit abilities, locations, and other things. I'm looking for someone with writing experience, as well as a great deal of familiarity with the original lore.**_


	5. The Fourth Kind

"That's the last of them!" Roger tossed an arm over the railing. He wished more of the men had run. Not that he believed they deserved any mercy after putting a gun between Olivia's eyes, but because it had taken them till sunrise to clear the mess from the deck. He had to admit, their newly appointed first mate had certainly earned the title Reaper of Souls.

"Seriously Soul, how did you even get chunks up here?" Olivia raised an eyebrow as she disentangled a finger from a stretch of netting several meters over their heads. He shrugged and smiled up at her as he continued scrubbing the blood off the deck, carefully patching every deep gauge his scythe had left in the wood.

"Fighting with a scythe isn't an exact science! It's more like..." Soul tried to think of how to describe his style of fighting.

"Dancing. It looked like you were dancing with that thing." Kuina offered as she carried her own cloth and bucket to a patch of blood and began scrubbing. "It was actually sort of beautiful, in a traumatizing kind of way."

"I guess it is sort of like dancing. My scythe is more than a weapon. It's my partner. When you fight with a scythe, you have to give up on the typical notion of your weapon working for you. With a scythe, you have to learn to work with it. If you try to dominate it, or if you let it dominate you, it won't end well for anyone. It's a delicate balance. But when you manage it, there are few that can stand before you." Soul smiled as he smoothed over the last cut and stood up, looking around the deck.

"Lunch break, guys!" Ace leaped nimbly down to the deck from ten feet up the mast. He had just finished hanging their flag back in it's proper spot. The crew shouted their agreement, and the five pirates gathered in the kitchen as Roger set to work throwing ingredients together for their last meal on this island.

Soul laughed easily with these people now. It was surprising to everyone, but most of all to him, how much things had changed in such a short span of time The previous evening, he still just considered them his crew mates. He had a goal. He was a demon. Now? He was sitting among his nakama. He had a dream. He was a good man. He smiled without reservation now. He had been wrong, and he was glad he realized it before it was too late.

"Soul, how did you take our cuffs off?" Olivia asked as she ate.

"I just... did. I've never vanished something I wasn't touching before. I just acted on instinct, and it turned out alright. I'll have to practice with it. Speaking of new tricks, did you grab me mid jump?" Soul looked at the navigator, who grinned.

"Yeah, I was about to land there next to you, but I just sort of snatched you and you came with me. You didn't get sick this time either!" Kuina laughed.

"Hey, neither did I!" Roger exclaimed. "You guys must be getting better at controlling your abilities!"

"Of course they are! Every time we face a challenge, we'll grow stronger! When we reach Raftel, we'll be as strong as my father's crew!" Ace grinned as he looked around at his nakama.

"Stronger! We'll live on. Every last one of us! If the that means that the entire world will come down upon those we care about, then we'll just have to become strong enough to take on the world!" Kuina shouted. Her companions agreed immediately.

"Let the world just try and stop us!" Olivia grinned, plucking a slice of apple from Soul's fingers and eating it. He just laughed and picked up another, biting it before she could snatch it.

"Did you guys send those books off?" Roger asked the twins.

"Yeah! Hopefully we'll have a reply waiting for us when we reach Loguetown!" Kuina was excited to hear from her mother. Roger brought five large plates of food to the table, setting them out before his nakama.

"Dig in!" He dropped into the last empty seat and started on his immediately.

"Hey Ace, I checked the map's, and if we take a direct route, we'll pass right by the Baratie floating restaurant. We should stop there! They have the best food in East Blue!" Kuina ate quickly, ready to set sail and get some sleep.

"Sure. We'll have a proper feast before we reach the starting point!" Ace nodded. Roger agreed immediately.

"I might be able to get them to give me a few tips while I'm there!" The cook knew his cooking was no where near what the previous crew had been treated to.

"Roger, you could give them tips. Your food is great!" Olivia smiled at him, and the others nodded in agreement.

"Best thing I've eaten in ten years." Soul commented.

The five pirates continued to laugh and talk and eat together through the morning. A while later, Kuina set them on the course that would take them to their next destination, and they all went to rest after an eventful night.

* * *

Soul was the first one up, going out to the deck instead of the workshop. He sat on the railing, watching the waves roll by and enjoying the cool breeze. The sun was already on it's was down, and it would be sunset in only a few hours. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. Salty water, and little flickers of scents from all across the sea.

He felt like a new man. How long had it been since he had dreamed? Not since his parents had died... Now things were different. He was done searching for blood. He would destroy that monster if it came after his nakama, but he would no longer hunt it mercilessly. He would no longer kill anyone who stood in his way of finding it. He had something better to live for than revenge.

_After I met him, I just couldn't keep living like I had been. Something about him was so inspiring, I knew I had to change. He made me want to follow my dreams, not just orders._ Soul smiled. That about summed it up. How was this man with a straw hat and a smile able to change me so much and so quickly?

"Hey Soul. What are you doing out here in the sunlight? I thought you lived in that cave of a workshop." Ace laughed as he came to stand next to the man. Soul gave him a light shove but laughed with him. He couldn't deny, he rarely came out unless it was to spar or eat for the past few weeks.

"Why did you make me your first mate? You know Kuina or Roger would have been the normal choices. I just barely got my priorities in order. How do you know you can trust me not to go back to how I was?" Soul leaned back on the railing and waited for his captain to answer.

"I just know. And why would I pick the 'normal choices' when I can pick the best choice? I've known you were going to be my first mate since you trusted me on the island of Sea Kings." Ace grinned. "I didn't expect it to happen this soon though. I guess it is a good thing those guys attacked in the night."

"I don't think I'll ever understand you." Soul shook his head. He didn't doubt the man's words at all. If he said he had planned for this from the very start, then it was true. "Is that part of your haki?"

"No. That is part of my will. My father's will. My mother called id the Will of D. That's just another mystery I plan to solve out here." Ace seemed lost in thought. Soul rolled that new bit of information around in his head. He had never considered the significance of that letter before.

"We'll solve it together." Soul grinned. "I'm in this to the very end now. You can count on me."

"I know I can. Go wake up the others, I'm hungry." Ace walked toward the figurehead. "And keep practicing with your power. I'm sure you'll find more uses for it than you could ever imagine."

Soul nodded. No doubt the man would prove to be right once again. He began thinking about the possibilities as he walked toward the cabins to awaken his friends.

* * *

"There it is! The Baratie!" Roger was grinning with excitement as he pointed to the floating restaurant. Kuina checked her map and compass and nodded in agreement.

"That's definitely it! Captain! Want us to stop here and dock with the smaller boat?" Kuina called out.

"No, get a little closer. If something goes wrong, I want us to be able to get back to the ship quickly. And leave the flag up this time! No more hiding who we are. This is a pirate run restaurant after all!" Ace shouted from the figurehead where he stood, one hand on his hat.

They brought the ship in close, leaving only enough room for other ships to get around. Soul dropped the anchor while the twins prepared to lower the boat. Roger and Ace tied up the sails, then joined the others on the deck.

The restaurant was far more classy than they had expected. They took a seat at a larger table near the door, out of the way and ready to make an exit if things got out of hand. They were greeted by an enormous man with a mustaches tied in two long branches.

"Good afternoon! My name is Zeff. I am the owner and head chef. I couldn't help but notice your flag. We happen to have a special guest here today, who has volunteered to both cook and serve your meal. He will be out shortly to meet you and take your orders. He asked me to give you these menus." The large man handed them five folded pamphlets, then bowed and walked back toward the stairs that presumably led up to the kitchen.

"It must be someone who knew the old Straw Hat crew!" Ace said quietly.

"I wonder who it is... I hope they aren't planning to poison us." Olivia looked a little nervous. Her sister looked toward the stairs with new concern.

"If they were going to poison us, they would find a subtler way of doing it than having the owner introduce himself to us." Ace looked confident that they would be fine. Soul shrugged. He decided that was good enough for him. He'd decided to follow this man, so he would do so without hesitation for as long as he held his respect.

"Look at the things on the menu! They have everything! Some of these fish don't even come from here, they're from the other Blues!" Roger looked over their options.

"It all looks so good..." Olivia stared wide eyed at the pictures of exotic dishes.

"May I suggest number fourteen, my dear?" A man had appeared at their table, standing politely with a friendly smile on his face. He had blonde hair, and distinctly curly eyebrows. He was tall and thin, with black pants, shoes, and vest, and a striped black and red button up shirt beneath it. He had an unlit cigarette between his lips. "It was your mother's favorite."

"You know our mother?!" Kuina and Olivia immediately focused their attention on the handsome man before them.

"Yes, I knew her very well. As well as your father, and this young man's parents. I am Black Leg Sanji, former chef to the Straw Hat Pirates. It is an honor to meet you." He gave a quick bow, then let his smile widen. "You two are just as lovely as your mother. Are Nami and Robin doing well? I don't get to speak to them as often as I would like. I was lucky to be making a visit here when you showed up!"

"Our mother's are both doing fine, at least they were when we left." Kuina replied as she and her sister tried not to blush at the man's compliments. "Oh! I recognize you now! You have your hair shorter than in that photo!"

"I was told that our advertisement would attract more customers if they could see my entire face. Apparently it worked, because I had a hard time getting away for this trip. Not that I want to cross through Mariejois more often than necessary. Getting here is easy enough, but you just can't go the wrong way down reverse mountain. Current is too strong for anything short of a Coup De Burst to go against it." Sanji pulled a note pad from his vest pocket along with a pen. "So, are you ready to order?"

After Soul and Roger were introduced, the five pirates placed their orders, with a few suggestions from the blonde cook, then talked among themselves until Sanji returned with their food.

"I don't technically work here anymore, but they made an exception and allowed me to prepare the food myself. Don't worry about the bill, either. I just took it out of how much they owed me for my delivery. I make an annual trip and deliver salt from All Blue, as well as some fresh fish they couldn't catch elsewhere. You are the first customers of the year to have the extra selection. Some of those fish were still swimming in my aquarium when I arrived here this morning!" Sanji laughed.

"Are you going to go visit our parents before you go back?" Kuina asked between mouthfuls. It was so delicious it was hard to stop to talk.

"I think I will. I may take a little time off and visit everyone before I get back to work. The place can run itself for a while. Where are you all headed? I didn't push for answers when Nami sent me a request to stock your ship." Sanji sat with them.

"We're going to discover the secrets of the world. Where Devil's Fruits come from, the truth about the Will of D, the islands that can't be found by Log Pose. Everything." Ace explained as he ate.

"Definitely your father's son, huh? If anyone can do it, it'll be you. Be sure to come back and tell us all about your adventures when it's over though!" Sanji looked over the young captain and smiled fondly. "He'd be proud of you."

"Thank you. I hope I don't let him down." Ace took his hat off and looked it over. "I want to earn this hat."

"Follow your dream and protect your nakama with your very last breath, and even if you die tomorrow, a thousand miles from your goal, you will have earned that hat." Sanji laughed, thinking about his old captain. "And keep around someone who can sew, cause that thing is going to go through hell and worse before you're through!"

"It's hard to believe it has survived as long as it has... It's been owned by two Pirate Kings, and one of the Four Emperors. I wonder where it came from before Gold Roger wore it..." Ace stared at the tattered old hat.

"You know, I really don't know. I guess that is just one more mystery for you to solve!" Sanji turned to the twins. "It is a shame your father didn't live to meet you. He was a good man... We used to fight all the time. I never imagined I would actually miss him."

"We miss him, and we never even met him. Oh, thank you for the fruit you sent us to start out journey! It's saved our skins more than once already!" Olivia smiled at the blonde cook.

"Really? What ability did you get?" He sat up, curious.

"We can jump from place to place in an instant." Kuina tossed a napkin into the air, and without a word, she and her sister swapped seats with a small breeze. Olivia caught the napkin. Sanji blinked.

"That isn't possible. Two people can't have the same power. That isn't how they work!" Sanji gaped at them.

"Well, we were hoping you would have an answer to that, since you sent us the fruit, but I guess we'll have to wait and ask Brook. We cut it using the sword he sent us. Where did you get the fruit?" Ace asked.

"It came into the restaurant in a shipment of fruit. I think someone with an ability must have died and it was the nearest available host. But I've never heard of such an ability before. I really don't know how this happened." Sanji shrugged. "It is a difficult thing to track. If you discover the origins of the fruit, that may lead to an answer though."

"Maybe. We'll see. It may have nothing to do with the fruit at all though. We'll look into all the possibilities." Ace finished his meal and leaned back slightly, thinking about how to go about his search.

"I should get back to business. I hope I see you all again. I'll be sure to tell your parents you are making progress when I see them! Good luck on your adventures!" Sanji stood up and waved to them as he walked toward the stairs. "And when you get to Raftel, feel free to take a left across the calm belt and visit my restaurant. I'll give you a feast you won't forget!"

"We'll be looking forward to it!" Roger called after the chef.

"Hey Soul, if one Sea King eats another, do you think any abilities that the victim had would transfer?" Ace asked the shipwright.

"Yes, I think that is definitely possible, what are you getting at?" Soul asked, setting down his fork and looking at his captain fully.

"Well, lets say that is how Devil's Fruit abilities got spread so far across the world. They stay underwater for generations of Sea Kings, then every once in a while, one will die without being eaten, and the ability will transfer to a fruit host on the surface. That would explain why there are so many on the Grand Line. It is one of the only places where Sea Kings are commonly killed be humans. That might be how we can track down where they came from!" Ace was grinning now, looking at his crew happily.

"So... Sea Kings both gain and lose their abilities most commonly on the Grand Line... so if we track where people get their powers _besides_ the Grand Line, we may find the origin. That is a good plan, captain." Kuina smiled. They had an idea of how to proceed now. That was all they needed.

"By the time we get to the end of the Grand Line, we should have enough information to know where to look first! Also, if we are hunting down people with abilities, maybe the creature that killed Soul's parents is as well. It may let us kill two birds with one stone." Roger suggested. Soul smiled slightly. They still cared about his old goal. There was a chance he could stay with them and still achieve it.

"That book that you sent back to your mother. It told about three locations with special rituals. I was investigating the first, because it was one I had heard stories about as a child, but there are two others. Kuina, do you have a map on you?" Soul asked the navigator. She pulled out a roll of paper and put it in his hand. He rolled it out and pointed to three spots. "That is the one I was at. This one is closest, in West Blue. This third one is the problem. It is located on the Red Line."

"How can that be? No one can even _get_ on the Red Line. It's 10,000 meters high!" Roger stared at the continent on the map.

"I have no idea. There could be entire cities up there that we know nothing about, living free of the government's control. The World Government says it is uninhabited, but they aren't really the most reliable bunch. If we find a way, we should go see for ourselves." Soul looked to his captain. Ace nodded.

"Of course. After we reach Raftel, we'll find a way to travel the Red Line. Who knows. The answers to all our questions may be hiding up there, out of sight." Ace stood up and stretched. "Let's get going. We can make a good start before nightfall. We're only a week out now."

"Alright. Liv and I can jump to the ship and start getting ready while you guys bring the boat back." Kuina and her twin vanished at their captain's nod. The rest of the group stood and followed their captain out the doors of the restaurant.

They were becoming proficient at setting sail, and it took them only a few minutes to be on their way. When they looked back, Sanji was standing on the deck of the Baratie with his back facing them, his head bowed, and his left arm held into the air with the sleeve rolled up. Kuina looked through the binoculars and saw a black "X" drawn on his forearm.

Kuina, Olivia, and Ace explained the significance of this mark to Soul and Roger. They had all heard the story from their mothers, and the special significance it held to the cook. Ace decided then that they would adopt the mark as well, so that next time they parted ways with a friend, they could offer the same salute.

Ace spent the evening in his favorite spot, sitting atop the roaring head of the dragon, his back leaned against a spike, watching the waves and clouds pass by. He was deep in thought, contemplating all he knew about the Devil's Fruit. He had looked at the map were Soul said the sacrifices were made, but something still didn't quite seem right.

The way they were spaced seemed too uniform to be natural, but too broken to be complete. If there were a fourth location... He jumped down to the deck and went to find one of his navigator's maps. He put his fingers on the three known locations, and stared at the paper intently. He finally grinned and pointed to a spot on the Grand Line. _There._

When he showed his theory to Kuina she told him it was about the same distance from the other three places, which were each about that same distance from each other, but she couldn't see any significance to that. Roger and Olivia were equally lost.

Soul, however, matched his captain's grin.

"There are four types of abilities, not just three." Soul looked to his captain for confirmation.

"That is what I'm thinking. Most Devil's Fruit abilities are Paramecia type. Those would be the ones from the Grand Line, where they were then scattered far and wide. Next most common is Zoan, which I think must be from East Blue, because that would explain why they thought they could get dragons by giving abilities to Sea Kings. Logia types are the rarest, and I think they were from the place in West Blue. That means there must be a fourth type of Devil's Fruit from the Red Line that almost no one has ever seen before. I think that is what the twins have." Ace explained. His crew began to smile in understanding.

"That would mean someone with an ability on the Red Line must have died while Sanji's delivery ship was nearby. So there must be people living up there!" Roger laughed and looked back at the map. "It's between East Blue and North Blue, so it makes sense... I think we may really be onto it!"

"Kuina, Soul, can you determine exactly where the Grand Line island is?" Ace looked to the navigator and first mate. They nodded together.

"Definitely. But that won't be the hard part. How are we going to get to it without a Log Pose that is set to it? I can't navigate us to a location in the water when we're in the Grand Line. At least not reliably. If we only sail at night, and there are no clouds, I could get us close, but it could take us ages, since we couldn't stay on course during the day." Kuina frowned at the map.

"Actually, I've got an idea for that... Do you have three Eternal Poses I could use?" Soul looked to the navigator. She nodded. "I'll have it done before we reach Loguetown!" The shipwright ran off to the workshop.

"I wonder what he is going to make..." Olivia watched him go.

"No idea, but I'm sure it will be like nothing we've ever seen." Roger turned back to the map. "Will we go to West Blue as well?"

"We want to go too. That is where our mother was born, and it is where Soul found that book. I think it is the same island... Ohara." Olivia looked at her sister, then to their captain. He nodded.

"We'll travel the Grand Line, then cross the Calm Belt into West Blue. After that, we'll work out a way to explore the Red Line!" Ace looked around the group. There were no complaints. "Kuina! Go get those Eternal Poses for Soul, then meet me in the map room."

The crew dispersed again, Olivia setting up an old deck chair in the sun and stretching out for a nap, while Roger climbed up to the crow's nest, going through the various stretches and exercises he had learned from Ace. Ace waited in the map room for his navigator, then discussed what course they should start on when they entered the Grand Line.

Meanwhile, below the deck, Soul worked intently on his project. He knew the basic principal should work, but he wasn't sure if he could bring it to life the way he envisioned. He tried several different designs, rejecting one after another. He thanked Olivia when she brought him dinner, but barely touched it as he continued working.

It was nearly sunrise when he sat back with a smile and looked at his creation. It was far from complete, but he had the internal mechanism working to his satisfaction. The next step would just be time consuming. He couldn't wait to show the finished project to his nakama.

The crew's curiosity was building, day after day. Soul would appear on deck from sparring, take a meal back to the workshop, then spend hours on end with the door shut. They could easily have gone in, but Ace ordered them to wait for Soul to present his creation to them. Even Ace was tempted to send one of the twins in to spy on his shipwright when Soul began taking maps into the workshop, one at a time, and returning them for another every hour or so.

They were only a day out from Loguetown when Soul greeted them on the deck at sunrise, exhausted, but proud. He led them to the map room, where they found a new table set up in the middle of the room. It had a hinged clear top, and a heavy wooden frame. Beneath the top, their was a perfectly recreated map of the Grand Line, and part of the surrounding ocean. They watched in fascination as a small model of their ship moved on three crossed wires toward an island labeled Loguetown.

"Soul... What is this?" Kuina was amazed, looking over the intricate and artistic detail the man had put into the recreation of her mother's map.

"I call it the Grand Pose System. G.P.S. for short. It uses three Eternal Poses to triangulate our exact position and direction. It will remain accurate within the area shown, and when we go beyond that, we simply flip the board beneath the top, and we're set up for the New World. The way the system works will only let us work on half the world at once, but it is just a minor inconvenience." The shipwright lifted the top and demonstrated the layered system, partially flipping the board to show them the rest of the map on the back.

"This is incredible..." Olivia came closer to inspect the model ship. "What is this ring around us?"

"That is the distance we can see from the Crow's nest. We can use that as a reference to narrow down our search, if we are trying to search a large area. We can modify the map at any time, and we can even use this special marker to temporarily mark on the top, to plot out courses!" Soul looked like a small child who had just completed a masterpiece. His nakama couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"We're the first crew in history with the ability to navigate the Grand Line reliably without waiting for a Log Pose to set... Soul this is brilliant!" Ace shouted happily. Roger nodded his agreement.

"You know, after we have explored the world, you could sell this design and make a thousand times more than we'll find at Raftel. The Government would give you your own ocean for this." The cook laughed.

"No way. I'm not letting the government get their hands on this! I'm going to deliver this design personally to Franky. He is the genius who made this miracle of a ship." Soul patted his table and then yawned, nearly falling over. "I need to get some sleep. Wake me up before we land." With that, the shipwright and inventor left the rest of the crew to admire his work as he went to find his bed for the first time in nearly a week.

* * *

"You can't be serious." Kuina stared at the shipwright.

"I am. They have to have them here. I only need a few." Soul stared right back, not giving in.

"That is morbid. I'm not having any part in this." The navigator crossed her arms and glared at him.

"It isn't morbid, that's the only way to know for sure!" Soul glared at her.

"It is gross! Why don't you go do it?" She raised an eyebrow.

"My fingers are too big! It's not like they have teeth or anything!" He sighed. This wasn't going anywhere fast.

"Use a stick or something!" She waved her arms in exasperation.

"A stick can't feel the other end!" Soul growled at her.

"Hey, what's wrong with you two?" Roger stepped out of the kitchen and looked up at the two pirates arguing right over his head on the upper deck.

"This... lunatic! He wants me to go sticking my fingers down the throats of all the Den Den Mushi I can find for sale to see if I can find any linked pairs so he can get more Transmission Dials!" Kuina turns to the cook for help.

"The only way to know for sure is if your finger comes out the other end! If you use a stick, you could end up just stabbing the things insides, and she's the one calling me morbid!" Soul gestured at the navigator in irritation.

"Couldn't you just pour some water in one and see if it comes out of another?" Roger asked. Soul dropped his arms and thought a moment. He looked at Kuina and grinned sheepishly, then walked away.

"Thanks Roger." She jumped to the lower deck and walked into the kitchen where her sister had been keeping the cook company. "Hey Liv. Did you find anything important about this place?"

"No... The logs Nami kept end at the execution, and don't tell much else about the town. I found some old historical records in the library, but nothing current or helpful. We'll have to just go in and see what happens. It's more fun that way anyway." Olivia smiled as she closed the book she had been flipping through.

"Ace will be happy to hear that. Lets hope Soul doesn't get his finger bitten by a snail while we're not looking though." Kuina sighed. Her sister laughed.

"He's right about them not having teeth, you know." Roger sat two plates down in front of them, then took two more out to the deck for Ace and Soul. He returned after a moment and dipped his own, sitting between the twins. "I wonder what he plans to do with more of those. I can imagine a ton of things, so I know he can think of ten times as many."

"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if he makes the ship fly, or something." Olivia smiled, no doubt thinking about how nice it would be to sleep on a flying ship.

"We'll just have to wait and see, as always. He likes to keep us guessing until he's finished. That G.P.S. thing is amazing though, so I guess it is worth the wait." Kuina stabbed her food a little harder than necessary, still irritated with the shipwright.

"Lighten up, Sis. Just imagine all the weird looks he is going to get when he is pouring water into Den Den Mushi's all across town!" Olivia laughed. "It'll be even more of a surprise for anyone who owns the partner."

"That's just sick. They could be talking and then _bleagh_, their Den Den Mushi spews water all over them." Kuina giggles a little. It may be worth going with him just to see what would happen.

"Guys! Come on! It's time to go ashore!" Ace called from the deck. The three pirates left the kitchen and joined their captain. A few moments later, Soul came out of the workshop, a small bag over his shoulder. "Alright, this town has a lot of traffic by pirates and marines, so one of us will remain with the ship at all times. The others will stay in pairs. If anything goes wrong, meet back here. I'll take first watch!"

"I'll take second. It shouldn't take me long to get what I need." Soul volunteered.

"I'll go third. I'll be able to prepare dinner before you all get back." Roger said. Ace nodded to them all.

"Alright, that's everything! Remember, we may not reach another island for a couple of weeks, and it will be a rough ride getting into the Grand Line!" Ace waved off his crew and took his seat on the figurehead, watching the excited pirates split into pairs to explore the town.

* * *

_**Next chapter, the crew will face their first true battle! Reviews (from people who have signed in) will speed the process:)**_


	6. Shake the World

_**Sorry this one took so much longer, but i had a busy week! I made it an extra long one, mostly because I didn't think there was an appropriate way to break it up, but you can pretend it was for you:) I hope you enjoy it as much as i enjoyed writing it!**_

* * *

"Oh! Roger, let's check out that one!" Olivia pulled on the man's arm, nearly dragging him to the small book store she had just caught sight of. He smiled and followed, managing not to trip as she pulled him quickly across the street and through the door.

It was a slightly cramped, but bright and comfortable shop, with a table, a few chairs, and a counter in the front, and books lining every other wall. In the back, they could see two more rooms of books. The owner sat behind the counter, reading an old book. He looked up and greeted them kindly when they entered. He was far younger that Roger had expected. Olivia wasn't surprised though. She wouldn't mind owning a book store.

Roger followed behind, watching the captivated girl browse through the books, shelf after shelf. She was in heaven. She moved through the shop, glancing carefully over each book, sometimes taking one down for closer inspection before either replacing it, or dropping it into her bag. Roger found a book of ghost stories collected from all across East Blue. After paying for it, he took a seat in the front to wait.

Olivia had not been in a book store this big before. It felt the same as her home, with the books sitting on every shelf, and a few tables. She knew she wouldn't be able to look through them all or be able to get all the ones she wanted before they would have to leave, but she could at least get a good start and drag Kuina back here later.

She moved from aisle to aisle, marveling at the wide array of books this shop had to offer. Nearly all of them were used, but as far as she was concerned, that just meant someone else had thought them worth reading. She plucked one from a shelf that had been worn to the point she could not read the cover. She flipped to a random point inside and read a few lines. She blushed and replaced it, moving out of the romance section as quickly as she had entered it.

In a pile of books that were still in a box, waiting to be sorted and shelved, she found a book with a soft leather cover. Inside, there were a hundred pages of intricate designs and blueprints, and just as many unused pages. She grinned and dropped it into her bag. Soul would love it.

The young inventor and shipwright was a mystery to her. She knew so little about him, and she was deeply curious. She was curious about nearly everything, so it was nothing new to her, but it bothered her that he could give her the answers she wanted, but chose not to. It also made her a little sad that he still wouldn't tell any of them about his past in any detail. Not even the captain.

She could sort of understand though. It was clear he had gone through hell. She knew, both from overhearing partial conversations between him and Ace, as well as asking him directly, that he had lost his parents to some creature, then set out at the age of ten looking for revenge. He had gained a bounty and a reputation as a demon. She knew they had all heard some monstrous accusations about him, and he had never denied them.

But Ace didn't seem to care. As far as the captain was concerned, the past was the past, and he trusted Soul, so that was good enough for her. Roger hadn't taken much convincing either. Kuina, on the other hand, seemed determined to keep him, if not at arms length, then at least slightly farther away than Roger.

It almost made her laugh, how similar the two were sometimes. Both were incredibly stubborn. Quick to make decisions, and slow to amend them, even if it is clear they are mistaken. Both are slow to give their trust, and both have a respect for Ace that goes beyond obedience. They are both loyal to a fault, and confident in their individual skills. They both have a large amount of respect for each other as well, even if they hate to admit it.

All in all, the Reaper could have been Kuina's best friend under better circumstances. It was a shame that he would not open up to them. Olivia felt sure that if he would just tell them his story, Kuina would embrace him completely, and there would be a lot fewer arguments on the ship. There was little she could do about it though. It was Soul's choice, and she would never push him to make it before he was ready.

She shook her head and turned her attention to another book. A cook book, compiled from around the world. She flipped it open and could barely believe her eyes. It was written by Sanji. He must have had it published as soon as he opened his restaurant. She knew who would appreciate that one!

The cook... Roger was an interesting person as well. Not quite the walking mystery that Soul was, but still not an open book. She knew he was extremely reliable and respectful, likely from the years he spent working odd jobs around his town. He was honest, and was usually the first to look for a compromise, or admit he was wrong. He helps her keep the peace between her sister and Soul.

The real mystery with Roger is his father. She had her suspicions, but she didn't want to voice them and cause him trouble. She would wait, and watch, and eventually the truth would come out. Until then, she could enjoy his company. He loved adventure, and was always as excited as Ace to reach the next destination and see what would be awaiting them.

She had offered to let him borrow any book he wanted, but he told her that he preferred to listen to her tell him about the books she had read instead. So now she spent the time before every meal in the kitchen with him, talking about what she had read most recently. Sometimes she would get him to tell her a story he had heard from the older residents of his village, or ask her questions about something he didn't understand, but usually he just listened.

She had to admit, it was nice having someone who loved the same stories as her that was willing to sit and listen to her talk for as long as she wanted. Her sister had always put up with her, but then again Kuina would have put up with anything from her, so it barely counted. Roger listened to her eagerly, and genuinely wanted to hear her talk about these stories.

She was beginning to understand what it was her sister felt for the captain. Ace was a good looking man, with his thin, muscular frame, and unruly black hair partially covering his dark, stormy eyes, but she thought Roger was far more handsome. His sheet of uneven red hair, and his relaxed personality always made her watch him more than the rest.

There would be time for exploring her feelings for the man later. Right now, she needed to look through the last of these books before their time was up! She pulled a large, ancient book from a high shelf. It had fallen over, and had a layer of dust over it. She cleaned it off and flipped through it. It had pictures of islands and towns. She knew they didn't have this one in their collection. Kuina would love it.

Her sister was her dearest friend. She knew that not all sisters got along as well as they did, and occasionally wondered if it was just because they were twins or if there was some deeper reason that they had always found themselves inseparable. They had different interests, and different tastes in certain things, like Kuina's crush on Ace and whatever it was she had for Roger, but they had rarely had any real arguments.

They spent almost all of their time together from birth, only recently spending time apart for their individual training in different fields. Most people thought that as the "good girl", Olivia blindly followed her sister. They were wrong. There were just as many times when her sister followed her, and many times they had decided together not to do something one of them was against. It was just that they rarely needed to speak to communicate, and Kuina was always the one to walk in first, being the more social of the sisters.

Olivia reached the end of the last shelf on the last aisle and sighed. She hadn't found anything for the captain. She knew he wouldn't hold it against her, but she still wanted to bring back something for everyone. Ace was always a surprise. She had known him nearly as long as she had known her sister, and he still managed to surprise her.

At first she had only followed him because of her sister, but as time went on, she began to feel the same respect and loyalty that Kuina did. She began following him because he was an honest, inspiring, and cleaver leader. Now, if her sister stopped following him, she wasn't sure what she would do. It would be a hard choice she hoped she would never have to make.

Whatever lessons Dragon had been teaching the man, he had become an excellent captain. There were still times when he would throw his level head out the window and act on instinct, but it always seemed to work out in his favor when he did. He knew when to listen to training, and when to listen to his heart. It was hard not to admire him.

She had heard stories about his father all her life, from her mother, Nami, and Dragon, and knew that Ace idolized him. The young captain wanted to live up to the Pirate King, and he was well on his way. She knew his dream stretched farther than simply becoming the Pirate King though. He wanted to understand their world. It was definitely a dream she would gladly give her life to follow as well.

Her own dreams... Well, what she really dreamed of was experiencing just a little of the world her mother had seen. The friendship and adventure that the woman had treasured for many years. She wanted to have some part of that. To live free, see the world, and see your nakama fulfill their dreams was the best life she could imagine.

She glimpsed a thin book she had passed over on her first pass and grabbed it. _The Pirate King's Crew_. She laughed and flipped through it. It had been intended as a picture book for children, but she knew that didn't matter. Ace would love it. It talked about the crew of the first Pirate King. Gold Roger. She put it in her bag, and soon she and Roger were leaving the small shop and heading back toward the ship.

* * *

It was amazing how immersed the young doctor could become in books. Roger had enjoyed watching the emotions flash across her face as she had searched the store from wall to wall. Well, he enjoyed watching her do about anything. She was beautiful, and the kindest person he had ever met. He was glad he had joined the crew, if only for the time he got to spend in her company. All of these pirates... He couldn't imagine not knowing them now. They were a part of his life that he considered indispensable.

Olivia always brightened his day. She would join him in the kitchen whenever he went to prepare a meal, and tell him about the things she had read. He looked forward to those hours with great anticipation, always wondering what stories she would have the next time. She was generally very quiet, and he loved getting to hear her talk.

Her sister was something else entirely. He felt sure that, unless they were trying to fool him, he would never be able to mistake them for each other. They were as different as night and day in many ways. Kuina was much more vocal, never holding back what she thought. This often caused conflict between her and Soul, but he knew it was just the way she was.

He spent a lot of time in Kuina's company. Both of them spent most of their time with either Ace or Olivia, so it was unavoidable, not that he wanted to avoid her. She was fun to talk with, and shared his excitement to reach new places, even if it was for different reasons. She was also usually willing to let him defuse the arguments she had with Soul. She trusted him to act as an impartial mediator, and he did his best to do just that.

He had been uneasy about Soul at first, but after the incident which had led to his new position among the crew, he trusted the man as much as Ace and Olivia did. He had offered his life in place of theirs when he could have easily let the doctor die and escaped. That was enough for him, and he suspected it was enough for the navigator too, but she was too stubborn to admit it yet. It would just take time.

Soul didn't seem to mind. He was used to being mistrusted, and never took the trust the others placed in him for granted. Roger figured he would die before he would betray Ace. He and Olivia followed the captain with loyalty and respect, but Kuina and Soul went far beyond that. Kuina would be hard pressed to deny she held a deep attraction for the man. Soul saw him as the son of the man who had spared his father, and as the man who gave him a dream and nakama. Roger could understand their devotion.

The captain was a truly incredible man. It was becoming apparent that he was far more thoughtful and calculating than his father had been, at least according to the stories Roger had heard. Ace put a great deal of thought into his words and actions, and Roger could tell the difference it made. He had managed to change Soul completely.

Roger looked up to see the ship just ahead. He smiled. It had been an enjoyable and relaxing first day in the town, and now that they were fully stocked, they didn't need to worry so much. Now, he had the ship to himself for the next two hours.

* * *

How had her day turned into this? She had been looking forward to spending hours walking through the famous streets, arm in arm with Ace. Now? Now she was stuck with Soul. She would give anything to put him in a box and inspect him to his namesake and determine, once and for all, what kind of man he was. If he was simply a demon, it would be easy to hate him. If the things she knew about him were misunderstood, or lies, or justifiable, she could easily fall for him as hard as she had for Ace.

But as it stood, all he made her feel was confused, and that made her irritable. Why did he have to be such a contradiction? A demon and an angel. She didn't like uncertainty. She knew the others trusted him. Honestly, if they were in a pinch, she knew she would trust him too, but she just couldn't accept that until she could understand him.

Kuina sighed in frustration. At least their little bonding experience was nearly over. She'd be able to vent to her sister soon, then she would feel better. Maybe her twin would have insight that would help her. Few knew that Olivia was one of the most observant people they would ever meet. The young doctor took in details automatically, that would take her great effort to seek out.

She probably already knew that her sister was feeling conflicted about the shipwright and was just waiting for her to bring it up herself. Kuina smiled slightly. She had revealed her crush on Ace a few years ago, expecting to surprise her sister, but instead received a raised eyebrow and a look that clearly said, "I thought you had already told me? Oops." She loved her sister to death, but it was a bit frustrating when the girl seemed to be able to read her mind.

It wasn't a one way street though. She could read her sister like a book, and knew that she had taken a liking to the cook since the day they had met. She also knew that Olivia also held some conflict of feelings regarding Soul, only she didn't have the same reservations as her twin.

The navigator thought for a moment about the cook and her sister. Would she be okay with that? Roger was a respectable man, and as far as she could tell, he was exactly what he seemed. He had grown up in a peaceful town. He never had to deal with the glances of people wondering if he would become a demon.

He never had any reason to hide who he was. Still, would he be good enough for her sister? That remained to be seen. Soul on the other hand... He was brilliant, no denying that. And he was strong enough to protect her. He had proven he was loyal to the point of offering his life for hers. Regardless of her personal feelings for the man, whatever they were, she couldn't deny he would make an acceptable partner for Olivia.

But she could also see him being a good partner for herself, if they could only stop arguing for ten minutes. She glanced sideways at him. He was gorgeous, in his own way. The same height as Ace, lean, but with slightly more muscle in his limbs. His hands... They were captivating. He was a craftsman of immense skill, as she had already seen. His fingers were long and elegant, strong and flexible. His hair was the same black as Ace's, and were it not for his intense green eyes, he could easily pass for the captain's brother.

His eyes were always moving, taking in things she considered irrelevant. He reminded her of her sister in that way. But she knew his mind was working on different lines. Where Olivia would be piecing together the clues her eyes were feeding her to determine unseen details about a person, Soul was analyzing how to disassemble something, or how best to counter an attack in any given position.

She felt a sudden burst of annoyance. He had not spoken hardly a word to her during their entire trip. Of course, if he had, it would have rapidly deteriorated into an argument, but he could have tried. She looked away when he turned a questioning look upon her. She soothed herself by thinking about the next two hours she would be spending with Ace, and the following two with her sister.

Her day wasn't a complete loss yet.

* * *

He could almost hear her glaring at him. He had to look back at her to be sure he wasn't just being paranoid. Nope. She was definitely boring holes into him with her eyes. She looked away with a growl when he caught her. He had really tried not to say anything that could lead to an argument while they were under orders to stay together. It was only for two hours, but it felt much longer with the endless uncomfortable silence between them.

He glanced at the line of buildings to their left, across the street. They would be the quickest cover, but the easiest place to attack from. If a group of pirates or marines wanted to bring them down, this street was perfect for an ambush. There was little he could do about it though. Kuina had chosen the direction, and she was the navigator.

His thoughts roamed to a fountain at the end of the street. It had various bladed wheels obstructing it's flow, and from each of them, two lights dangled, powered by the turn of the water wheels. He could do so much better with his new Transmission Dials. He smiled at his hidden cargo. At least he had been able to find a few of the Den Den Mushi he needed.

There were many things aboard the ship he could power with a perpetual flow system. They were small, but with time, or proper placement, he could make the most of them. Kuina had, grudgingly, helped him in his search. She had agreed to watch the others to see if the water came out of any of them. They found two linked pairs, and he got two others for experimentation.

If he could link more than two, there was no limit to what he could do. That was assuming he could turn these Den Den Mushi into Dials. They were a distant relative, but they did share many similarities, so it was worth a try.

The real question was what to try first? He had already made their navigator a table to get them anywhere in the world. He had thrown together a collapsible and adjustable book stand for Olivia. It would allow her to read in her deck chair without holding the book with her arms in the air. She had appreciated it. He had improved the water delivery and disposal system in the kitchen for Roger. That only left the captain.

They were all his crew, so in a way, anything that helped them, helped him. However, Soul was determined to create something of particular use to his captain. It would take some time to think of something the captain could use though. Now, he needed to focus on not setting off the volatile navigator beside him.

The next two hours would be a welcome break.

* * *

Ace sat on the figurehead of the ship, leaning comfortably against one of the spikes. He was enjoying the strong breeze and the warmth of the afternoon sun. He had a long evening ahead of him. Two hours with Kuina would be an enjoyable break from being the captain. It would be nice to just be himself for a while. Then he would be with Soul until dinner.

He still wondered what it was he felt tugging at him when he met the man, and again when he appointed him as his first mate. It went against logic. Kuina and Olivia had proven themselves beyond question to him. Roger was level headed and always tried to find peaceful compromises among the crew. Any of them would have been smarter choices than the wanted murderer they had just met.

But he just _knew_ that Soul was the right one. That was who his father would have chosen. In a way, his father _had_ chosen him when he spared Soul's father on Raftel. Ace knew the story was true. He had heard his mother tell his grandfather about the marine that his father had refused to kill in the attack. She never knew why, but Ace had a feeling that he had felt the same pull that he felt with Soul. There was something in his future that Ace had to allow.

It would be interesting to see what destiny the man carried. He wondered what would become of their crew after they reached Raftel. The last two Pirate Kings had disbanded their crews and given themselves over for execution. His grandfather was no longer leading the revolution, at least not actively. The government was recovering from the Great Age of Pirates. But it had also let its guard down.

Ace's father had shaken the world. He had shown what it took to become the Pirate King, and most of the other great pirates had either allied with him and retired with him, or had stood in his way and been destroyed. As far as the government was concerned, there were no more serious threats beyond the Emperors, and none of them were making any grabs for the lofty title.

The young captain smiled to himself. They were about to receive a rude awakening. He knew he had to go about it carefully, or he would be the sole focus of their entire forces, and he wasn't ready for that yet. He needed to relight the fire in people's hearts. Ace knew that Roger had sent the world into a frenzy, daring them all to try and match him. It had taken a quarter of a century, but one crew finally did. But with his death, their was no rush of passion as their had been before.

Ace was grateful. If there had been, his life would have been a crime. He wouldn't have been able to grow strong under his grandfather's training. Now he was ready, though. He needed to shake the world. The question was how. How could he, with a crew of only five, and only the notoriety of his name, going to accomplish what only the first Pirate King had managed? He had to figure that out soon.

He could almost hear his grandfather guiding him between blows. _You need to identify your goal, and then work towards it, step by step. Work back to where you are now in your head, then you'll see the path to victory. Keep your head on straight, and know when to act on instinct, and when to act with care. _He did his best to keep to those words, but he was struggling to find a path between here and there now.

There was also the question of what he would do to achieve his dream. He had limits, unlike many pirates his father had defeated. He would not slaughter innocent people to gain fame. He would find his own way. His name would only take him so far. He had to prove to the world that he would live up to that name.

He needed a decisive victory against an unbeatable enemy. The twins had improved their skills with their ability immensely, and Roger was becoming more dangerous with a sword by the day. Soul was already renowned, and would likely have a staggering bounty if more people survived to spread rumors and reports of his danger. And he liked to think he was growing stronger and more experienced as well. If the Buggy pirates challenged his crew now, he wouldn't count them out now.

Ace sighed and looked up at the sky. There was only so much he could do. He could only hope now that the Will of his father would bring him luck. It wasn't much to go on, but many said his father walked through life as though the very forces of nature fought for him. They said the same about Gold Roger. None quite so much as Dragon though.

His grandfather, the Revolutionary Dragon, was more than lucky. The weather didn't simply fight on his side, it was at his service, at least until he retired. Many thought he had a Devil's Fruit ability of immense power, but they were wrong. His power was from the sea. He had inherited his power from a wise man that led the revolution while it was still working in complete secrecy.

The power, combined with the Will of D and haki made the government more than nervous. He was a danger to the world in a very real way if he had chosen a path of destruction. Fortunately, no one ever knew the full extent of his power. He truly was a dragon that could have torn the world to ash and rubble. Now, he had passed on that power to his successor.

The world didn't know there was still a revolutionary army. It had gone underground again, waiting. It had leaked the information that Dragon had retired, and with the execution of the Pirate King, the government believed it was in the clear. Roger had been right. The storm wasn't over, it was waiting. It would just take a signal. Some disturbance to bring it back, full force.

All it would take was one little push and the world would be shaken again. It was an incredible feeling, really. Knowing how charged the world really was. Even his crew was unaware of the anticipation he could almost feel in the air. Life went on for the pirates and marine. The civilians and the government. But it could change in a heartbeat with the right provocation. _But how do I provoke it?_ Ace wondered again.

The revolutionary army. The pirate Emperors. The mysterious monster that had killed Soul's parents. His own crew, flying a flag that was know in every corner of the world, resting at the back of the minds of the people, out of use. Seventeen years of quiet peace. Seventeen years of the government tightening its grip on the world.

Ace grinned. He knew what he needed to do. He felt that tug in his heart. His father's Will still lived in him. That drive to do the impossible. No one could start the storm without dying in the process, but he would do it. He was going to fulfill Roger's dream today. He was going to bring hope to the world that it wasn't all over yet. This evening, he was going to relight the fire. He was going to shake the world.

* * *

"Roger this is amazing!" Kuina waved a piece of fish on the end of her fork before biting it eagerly.

"Thank your sister, she bought me the cook book with the recipe." Roger grinned. He had enjoyed going through the book during his shift and marking everything he had the supplies for. His nakama would be eating like kings for the next few weeks.

"Liv, buy him books more often!" Soul was happily eating the fish as well, his apple still untouched by his plate. Ace nodded his agreement.

"Did you guys get everything we'll need for our trip into the Grand Line?" Ace looked around his crew.

"Yeah. We may have to fish some to keep fresh meat, but I have plenty of everything preservable for about two months, in case we don't get the opportunity to buy anything for a while." Roger nodded.

"I restocked the workshop, and made sure we have everything I'll need to keep the ship in good working order." Soul looked up from his food.

"I have all the equipment I'll need to maintain out logs and maps." Kuina snatched an uneaten bite from her sister's plate. Olivia glared at her hand, then snatched a piece from Roger. Roger just laughed.

"I was able to get some extra medical supplies. As long as none of you need major surgery, I can keep you in one piece." Olivia smiled.

"Excellent! Tomorrow, we're going to the execution platform to see where Gold Roger and my father died. Soul, I have a special project for you to work on, if you're up for it." Ace turned a mischievous grin to his first mate. Kuina and Olivia sat up and gave him their full attention. It had been a while since they had gotten into some trouble.

"You name it, Captain." Soul looked at the three old friends, wondering what was coming.

"I need something, to use Buggy's word, flashy. Something that no one in the city will be able to ignore, and something that will take them a long time to deactivate. I'm not too concerned with exactly what it is, as long as it creates enough sound to draw everyone's attention to it." Ace told the inventor his specification. Soul nodded.

"I can do that. How long does it need to last?" Soul pulled the new book Olivia had given him from the air and began scribbling in it.

"About fifteen minutes. Long enough for a good size crowd to gather. Nothing dangerous though. We don't want to hurt anyone, or scare too many off." Ace looked at the page where a design was taking shape.

"I understand. I'll check out what we might have with the instruments in the performance room. I think their may be some recordings that I can amplify." Soul received a nod from Ace and went to work on his new project.

"Roger, tonight we're going to practice sword to sword. I don't want to throw you into battle with the marines without ever having fought against a real blade before." Ace smiled at the nervous look on the cook's face. "Don't worry. You'll be fine. You've become an excellent swordsman, but the surprise of the change could cost you."

"What are you up to, Ace?" Kuina grinned at him.

"Something big. You'll see tomorrow. Until then, I need you and Olivia to practice with your ability. I know you have gotten better and can move a passenger without the side effects now, but one of you will need to take two passengers, and you'll need to make a lot of fast jumps. Do you think you're up for it?" Ace looked at the twins. They stood up and nodded happily. Olivia held out her hand to her sister and the captain. As soon as both touched her, she took off, jumping around the ship with her two companions, barely landing before flashing away.

After a few minutes, she stopped, panting slightly but smiling proudly. Kuina and Ace laughed. They weren't nauseous at all.

With the crew working on their individual preparations, Ace and Roger took swords to the deck and faced off. Roger found his captain to be even more skillful with a sword than he was with his hands. Or maybe it was just the change, as Ace had suggested. Whatever the case, it took the red haired cook several close calls before he began to transition to the new way of fighting.

"Hey Captain! I've got it ready!" Soul called to him from the stair way, holding a strange box under his arm. Ace walked over, handing Roger his sword. Soul set the box down and flipped it open, revealing an intricate system of dials. "This thing will be sure to get a _lot_ of attention. It will start with an amplified drum beat that increases complexity and speed for about five minutes, then it doubles and layers it before repeating. It will do this three times, running at the highest possible volume with the beat superimposed on itself four times before it will let out blast of sound that will reach every shore and every basement."

"This is perfect, Soul. Good work! How did you get it done so fast?" Ace looked at the man.

"I had already been thinking about a communication system for the ship. This is just a heavily modified version. And this box is only filled with replaceable parts. The source will be here on the ship, and it should be undetectable unless you're standing on board. All the noise will be coming from wherever you put this box." Soul patted the box.

"That is great! Put it somewhere safe until morning. Also, can you use some spare wood to make a pole a few feet longer than your scythe? Light enough to carry, but pretty sturdy." Ace received another nod from the inventor.

"Sure, no problem. What's it for?" Soul asked.

"You'll have to wait until tomorrow." Ace laughed.

* * *

The sun was at the horizon. Roger had already finished his training for the evening and was relaxing in the crow's nest with Olivia. Kuina had managed to jump all four of her crew mates with her five times in a row before she was to worn out to make another jump. She was sitting with Ace between the spikes of the figurehead, watching the sunset. Soul had crafted a pole for Ace withing minutes, and was now resting on the deck, reading through the book Olivia had given him.

Kuina noticed something wrong first. The wind picked up, and a few drops of rain splattered on the deck. The navigator frowned at the sky.

"It wasn't supposed to rain today... There were no signs of it." As she watched, the scattered drops began to increase in size and frequency until it became clear that the clear night she had predicted was not going to happen.

"Let's get inside. No reason to stay out here and get soaked." Roger climbed down from the crow's nest as Olivia jumped to the deck. She began walking toward the doors to the cabins when she caught sight of something.

"Hey! Ace, there's a ship heading this way!" The doctor called out. Ace turned and watched the ship draw closer. It was flying a pirate flag.

"Everyone, on deck. Roger, get your sword." Ace leaped gracefully from the top of the dragon's head and stood near the railing, facing the approaching ship. The flag had the skull of a snake, fangs bared in a hiss, with swords crossed behind. The young captain raised one hand to hold his hat in place as the wind continued to increase in intensity.

Roger returned from his cabin with the black and orange sword hilt in view at his hip. The rain was coming down in sheets now, making it difficult to make out details on the other ship. A flash of lightning illuminated the scene for a moment, burning the image of the opposing crew standing on their deck, weapons in hand.

Soul pulled his scythe from the air and held it across his shoulders, looking to his captain for orders. Ace picked up the sword he had been using with Roger and spun in experimentally, then turned to his crew.

"Kuina, Olivia, Roger, Soul. Are you ready for this?" Ace looked from one to another, receiving nervous nods from all but Soul. The man with the scythe smiled confidently. It would not be his first battle. He had risked his life many times. "You are strong! Every one of you! We will not fall here! We have not achieved our dreams yet, and they will not stop us! Don't let your guard down. Watch the backs of your nakama. Show these men that we are strong!" Ace turned back to meet the enemy as the first dozen pirates jumped to their deck.

"Five of them? This is a joke! Kill them all! Flint Pirates, teach them what happens to fools who draw weapons against one of the Shichibukai!" The shout echoed through the rain. The sun was fully set, barely a glow peaking through beneath the clouds at the horizon. The scattered flashes of lightning and the lanterns on each ship were the only sources of light.

Ace launched into the first line of the attack force, knocking aside their extended blades with his own, before throwing the cumbersome weapon through the chest of a man who was about to fire a shot at Kuina's back. He caught the next blade directed for him, and shocked it's holder when he snapped it with his bare hand before jamming the shattered blade fragments into his throat. He ran among the enemy crew targeting the ones wielding pistols.

The rain was too thick for any of them to aim properly, but he didn't want one of them to get lucky. Three men fired when he was reaching for them. They backed away in horror as he stumbled back only for an instant, then charged forward angrily, the bullets falling from his unharmed chest.

Soul was a spinning pit of death. No one ventured within his reach and walked away in one piece. His scythe moved like it had a mind of its own, seeming to leap from his hand to cleave a man in two before settling back into his grip. He never stopped his movement, like a dance, he was always fluid, lashing out with hand or foot, blade or pole.

Roger was thankful for the last training session. Had he not had it, the change to sword on sword combat could have easily been the end of him. As it stood, he was holding his own, keeping his back to the mast, he was holding off three men confidently. One dropped as Kuina jumped behind him, racking a knife across his legs, then vanished to safety. With only two men, he went on the offensive, and soon drove them to the railing, kicking them over.

The twins were chaos, jumping to the vantage point of the upper deck to choose a target, then striking as fast as the occasional lightning. No one knew where they would hit next. Three men had already been killed by their crew mates as they attempted to cut the vanishing girls. They knew Ace could sense their movements, and Roger was staying put, fighting from a single position to protect his back. Soul was the only one they had to be careful of. They stayed well out of his range, which the enemies noticed. Unfortunately, moving closer to him was not the best escape route.

"Retreat! Get back to the ship!" The calls of a panicked voice rang out among the fighting pirates, but few obeyed. They could not falter for an instant or a flashing blade would strike them down. Many rushed the spinning Reaper, but no one could touch him. His scythe seemed omnipresent, striking where he would not have known to strike. The red haired man fighting like a demon himself, taking on two or three men at a time. The two girls, flashing about, inflicting crippling wounds, which immediately became fatal as they stumbled within range of one of the others.

Then there was Ace. The few who saw him shivered in fear. He stood their among them, his messy black hair hiding his eyes, and that hat on his head. The hat they recognized now. The hat that everyone in the world had seen in wanted posters for nearly three years not so long ago. A bolt of lightning would show him walking toward them, one hand on his head, then he would launch at them, blows like cannon fire landing on their bodies, breaking bones. His fists felt like steel, and no one could lay a hand on him.

He never missed, and he always knew which way to turn, meeting their swords with bare hands that seemed invulnerable to their attacks. The retreat call went unheeded as the last man fell beneath the Reaper's scythe. The five blood soaked pirates stood panting as they turned their gaze on the speechless man standing on the opposing ship. The man who had ordered the attack, but not fought with his men.

He turned to run, but Kuina and Olivia were holding him by his arms in a heartbeat. They dragged him back to the center of his own deck and Ace, Soul, and Roger climbed aboard. Ace stood in front of him, his dark eyes reflecting the glow of a bolt of lightning. He raised his head, pushing his hat back.

"You coward. You let your men die, but didn't stand among them? You don't deserve to call yourself a pirate! Who are you?" Ace glared at the man as he shook in fear. The water dripping from his face could have come from the pounding rain, or his own tears of terror.

"C-Captain Flint... I am one of the Shichibukai! The World Government won't allow you to get away with this!" The man tried to sound confident. Ace grinned then. Not his father's carefree smile. The half-mad grin that had terrified anyone who came to stand against the Revolutionary Dragon. The man's false confidence broke in an instant.

"The World Government is not going to save you! Now, why did you attack us?" Ace demanded.

"We needed navigational equipment... We only had an Eternal Pose to Loguetown... Your ship looked expensive enough to have good equipment..." Flint shrank before the young pirate captain, flinching every time a bright flash illuminated him fully. His eyes flickered over the rest of the crew. Two identical women, standing back to back, nearly hidden in the shadows, eye trained on him. Waiting to take him down in a flash if he moved. One man with red hair like the legendary emperor, and swordsmanship to match. But that was impossible. Then, at the captains shoulder, like the angel of death himself, stood the man with the scythe.

"You chose to attack us to steal our equipment rather than simply buy your own in this town? You are in the service of the government. Surely you can afford a Log Pose?" Ace didn't look away from the man.

"We are supposed to kill other pirates! It is part of our agreement with the government! As long as we kill other pirates, don't seek One Piece, and don't attack the marines, we are left free to do as we please!" Flint was pleading for mercy now, sinking to his knees.

"Kuina! Tie him up and then secure him on our deck. Roger, Olivia, search this ship. Anything we can use, take. If you find anyone else, capture them alive if possible, but protect yourselves first. And take their flag! Soul, when they are done, burn the ship and set it out on the water." Ace issued his orders. The crew nodded and went to do as he commanded. Ace lifted his hat back onto his head.

"No! Please! The government will lock us in Impel Down if we lose the ship and gold!" Flint cried out as Kuina bound his hands and feet. She jumped him to their deck and tied him tightly to the railing. When she was satisfied that he couldn't move, she went back to her captain's side.

"This has been a night full of surprises. First the rain, then a victory against a Shichibukai? I am guessing he fit into whatever you have planned for tomorrow pretty well, huh?" She looked up at her friend and saw his excited grin peaking out from beneath his hat.

"Tomorrow, everything changes. Are you ready?" He tilted his head to her, waiting for her answer.

"As long as I'm by your side, I'm ready for anything." She grinned. Then she shivered with delight when he leaned in and pressed his lips briefly against hers in the torrential downpour. He was gone far to quickly for her liking, but she still felt his warmth several minutes later when her twin tugged her arm and told her Soul was ready to light the ship.

She jumped to _The Legacy Storm_ with her sister and watched as the enemy ship burst into roaring flames as it drifted away from them.

Roger ran his fingers through his hair, dragging the crimson locks out of his eyes and watching the flickering fire light through the rain. Olivia came to stand beside him, followed by Kuina, who looked dazed, but happy. Soul wandered over, his scythe long since pushed out of sight. Ace came to stand before them, the fire at his back. He raised hie head and grinned at them.

"Plans just changed! Soul, get your box ready and a second pole. Olivia, bring down our flag and tie it to one, then attach Flint's to the other. Kuina, take Soul's box to the execution platform and set it at the top. Roger, bring Flint, but keep his hands bound." Ace looked at the shore where an enormous crowd was gathered, watching the burning ship.

Kuina did as commanded, and soon they could hear the sound of drums echoing through the town, vibrating in their chests. Ace handed the pole with Flint's flag to Roger, along with a Flame Dial. He asked Soul to pull out his scythe. Kuina and Olivia stood among their crew, holding the prisoner, and after several minutes of increasing tempo and volume, their was a sound like a thousand cannons firing at once. The group jumped under the twins' power and stood on the execution platform, looking down at a crowd of many hundreds.

The wind spiked again, causing both flags to wave clearly in the lights of the square. As the captured Shichibukai knelt before the five pirates, Roger set his flag on fire, holding it high for the crowd to see. There were a dozen marines staring up at them in awe, not even moving to attack them yet. It had been too long since they had dealt with _real_ pirates.

They were quite the intimidating apparition. The rampaging storm had reached its peak, with lightning and thunder tearing open the sky every few seconds. There, atop the infamous execution platform, they watched a man with a Straw Hat stand with pride and confidence between his nakama. On the ends, a man with the red hair of a Yonko, and a girl half hidden in shadow. At her side was an identical shadow, and in the final place was a man with an enormous scythe. The man in the center held a flag over his head.

Not a single man, woman, or child had to wonder what the flag meant. It was clear as day. The Straw Hat Pirates were back. They had toppled one of the Seven Warlords with only five people. Ace shouted to the crowd, barely containing his urge to laugh with triumph.

"The Great Age of Pirates is back, and the World Government should listen well! I am Monkey D. Ace, son of Straw Hat Luffy, the Pirate King! Be prepared! The revolution has been waiting, but they will wait no more! The time is here! The cowards and dogs of the government who dare call themselves pirates will see what true pirates look like! Are you ready? The world is going to be overturned again! I'm going to shake it to its roots!" Ace threw back his head and laughed as the crowd below whispered, some in fear, some in excitement, some in disbelief.

The marines were gathering their senses and preparing to attack the platform, but in an instant the pirates were gone, leaving nothing but a bound man and a burnt flag.

Standing atop the tallest building on the square, a man grinned with pride at the display. So that was Dragon's grandson. This must have been the signal he was supposed to be waiting for. If their had ever been a signal that said "let the storm begin again", this was it. He picked up his steel staff, tipping back his top hat to get a better view of the confusion on the street below, revealing a strange tattoo over his left eye. He shook his blonde head and turned away from the scene. The revolution _had_ been waiting.

Now Sabo had the privilege of telling them they need not wait any longer. It was time to help Ace shake the world. He had been waiting for this day for seventeen years.

* * *

_**Special thanks to Greymon Leader, jewel-401, and Ariicia for reviewing, as well as Lynx Klaw for her continued advice!**_

**_Please leave me a (signed in) review! The next chapter will be the last in East Blue for quite a long time! Are you ready for the Grand Line?_**


	7. First Bounties Reach Home

The world was in an uproar. The news had spread faster than anyone could have imagined. The Straw Hat Pirates were back, and they had already taken down one of the Shichibukai with only five members! Not only that, but they had all but declared war on the World Government. As word of the incident spread across the seas, whispers began to reach the government that the Revolutionary Army was on the move once again.

Two of the Shichibukai handed in their resignation within the week, and dozens of pirate crews that had been taking advantage of the easy prey on the Grand Line and the four Blues were lowering their flags and looking for cover. In their place, new ships were launching every day, driven by the desire to witness the storm that had erupted.

Not long afterward, five new wanted posters were scattered across the world. Where they got the names of the crew was a mystery, but the pictures were all clearly taken while they were addressing the world from the execution platform. The lightning, street lamps, and the flames from the distant burning ship lit the five pirates with an unearthly glow through the pounding rain.

Monkey D. Ace was assigned a bounty of 104,000,000 beli. The Reaper's increased from sixty five to seventy eight million. Roger was worth a little over fifty million, and each of the twins held bounties of nearly forty million. The Straw Hat Pirates were worth 312,000,000 beli, dead or alive. Ace grinned as he handed the posters around the crew, letting them see the effects of their efforts.

"They know we're here now. There will be no more taking them by surprise. They've acknowledged us as a real threat to them." Soul set the papers down on the table between them all, spreading them out and arranging them into the full picture they had been divided from. "That was quite a display we put on, Captain."

"Thanks to the storm, none of the marines were able to follow us. We're lucky this ship is so tough, or we would have been torn apart. Seems like the weather was on our side this time." Kuina hadn't lost her good mood since their victory over Flint. More precisely, since her captain had finally kissed her.

"This ship was made to survive the harshest corners of the Grand Line! There was no way one little storm would bring down _The Legacy Storm_!" Ace touched the wall nearest him fondly. "This is the ship that's going to take us everywhere!"

"I can't believe it was that easy to beat on of the Seven Warlords!" Roger shook his head, glancing again at his poster. He looked a great deal more intimidating than he had ever imagined he could.

"The government had to lower their standards. They accepted weaker pirate crews just to keep the ranks full. Don't worry. With all this chaos, they will be building up a much stronger group again. Our next fight won't go so smoothly." Soul leaned back in his chair as the cook sighed. It wasn't really what he had wanted to hear.

"We'll be stronger by then as well. It will take them a while to be ready to confront us, especially with the revolution starting up again. We'll be well into the Grand Line before they are prepared to try and stop us." Kuina spread out her map. "We'll be at reverse mountain in a few days. After that, we'll see just how handy Soul's G.P.S. can be."

"Yosh! Everyone, let's hang these up with the old crew's in the meeting room!" Ace stood up and gathered the posters, leading the way to the large circular room. Around the walls were several posters that clearly showed the escalating infamy of their predecessors. The first entry held only a single poster for Monkey D. Luffy for thirty million beli. The last entry held the final bounties of the entire crew. Straw Hat Luffy for 845,000,000 beli. By that time, the world no longer cared what his name was. He was Straw Hat, and that was enough.

Roronoa Zoro for 520,000,000 beli. The picture showed him with only Wado Ichimonji in hand, standing victorious before Hawkeye Mihawk in their final duel. Nico Robin for 455,000,000 beli. The picture showed her smiling calmly with a book in her hand. It looked as if she were sun bathing on the deck of a ship. The twins smiled, seeing their parents in their prime.

Black Leg Sanji for 390,000,000 beli. The picture was his first, judging by the previous crude drawings, and he had made it count. It looked like he had planned the picture, as he was smiling handsomely, mid kick, as the flames danced around him.

Cyborg Franky for 325,000,000 beli. The image showed him with spiked blue hair, and a tall, but thin and fit frame, very unlike the picture Robin had of him which showed a terrifyingly bulky man with a short haircut. This had been taken not long before Luffy had surrendered, when the government feared the pirates would remain a threat for years to come. The man's forearms were tattooed with "BF-39".

Monster Doctor Chopper for 260,000,000 beli. The picture was of a creature bigger than a house, with claws longer than a man was tall. Not the cuddly raccoon like animal that appeared in previous posters.

Soul King Brook for 195,000,000 beli. In the picture, they saw a skeleton dressed in a stylish black suit, and a large ball of curly black hair. He was holding a half-drawn cane sword. He was a well known musician who had retired not long ago.

Sniper King Usopp for 130,000,000 beli. The man in the picture had a daring grin on his face and a strange slingshot staff in his hand. He was standing in front of a pile of unconscious marines. The rest of the crew had sent the Thousand Sunny with that man after the execution. It was a medical ship now.

Storm Witch Nami for 65,000,000 beli. Ace smiled at the photo of his mother leaning calmly against a man not shown in the picture. It didn't matter. He could see the edge of the Straw Hat that identified his father.

2,730,000,000 beli for the entire Straw Hat crew. The highest bounty for any group in history, even beating the Roger Pirates. More than eight times what they were worth now. They had a long way to go before they could match that. They posted the five posters in the next section of the room and stood back to admire their addition.

"We're really on our way now." Roger leaned against the table and looked at his own poster again. "I wonder if everyone back home has gotten the news yet."

"I hope so. Oh! We forgot to pick up the letter!" Olivia shouts, vanishing only a moment before her sister. The other three shrug and go about their day as usual.

* * *

"Nami, have you seen the news yet?" Dragon grinned proudly as he walked through the door, looking to the kitchen where the orange haired woman was sitting, holding the day's paper. She nodded and smiled back.

"His father would be very proud! His first bounty is higher than Luffy's second was!" Nami lays the paper out between them as Dragon takes a seat across from her. "Do you know anything about his other two crew mates?"

"I do. The one called The Reaper has been wanted for ten years. He has brought down hundreds of pirates and marines, and his bounty would be ten times what it is if he ever left anyone alive to tell what they had seen. The other one is from Foosha Village. We've been keeping a close eye on him since he was born. There was nearly a war fought over him, but no one who wasn't involved knows that was the reason." Dragon looked at the pictures.

"A war?" Nami stared at the man. He certainly looked like trouble, but the picture made all of them look otherworldly and terrifying.

"Yes. It was shortly before your crew reached Raftel. The Marines sent five disguised battleships to the island to kidnap or kill the boy as a sort of diversion to keep his father out of the New World while they launched their attack on you. It worked, sort of, but instead of beating them to death side by side with your captain, he beat them here in East Blue, protecting his son." Dragon explained.

"Who was his father?" Nami could guess, just from his hair and the concern the government had for his interference. She had always wondered why the man hadn't been there during that battle. Not that they ended up needing the help, but she had assumed he would join them.

"Red Haired Shanks. The Yonko. The government knew that after your crew beat his that he had formed an alliance with Luffy, and they knew they could never fight against an alliance that strong. Strategically, they did very well drawing Law and Shanks off to distant ends of the world, and putting together and alliance of their own, but it didn't make any difference in the end." Dragon grinned. "My men were waiting nearby, just in case things went wrong. There was nothing the marines could do to draw me away."

"You were there?!" Nami gaped at him. "Where?"

"Underwater. We had fifty ships of revolutionaries armed to the teeth just under the surface behind the marines and pirates. You didn't think I would miss seeing my son become the Pirate King, did you?" Dragon laughed. "If the enemy's alliance had proven too much for you all, we would have sunk their entire fleet in a matter of seconds."

"That is... Scary. How much fire power did you have aimed at them?" Nami was almost afraid to ask.

"Enough to sink Raftel if we had to." Dragon sighed and stood up. "I'm going to go talk with Robin. I'm sure she's seen the news as well."

"Yeah..." Nami was still shocked. Did the Revolutionary Army have one of the Ancient Weapons? On second thought, she didn't want to know.

* * *

"Are you watching over them, Zoro? Our girls are already making the government nervous!" Robin smiled warmly. The bounties were higher than she had expected. All of them were higher than Luffy's first bounty. They weren't being given the same dismissal as their predecessor. East Blue had given the world two Pirate Kings and the Revolutionary Dragon. They couldn't write it off as weak any longer.

"Robin! How do you like the news?" Dragon asked as he stepped through her doorway. She laughed at the grin on his face. He may act like he is always calm and in control, but at heart, he really was Luffy's father, and there was only so much excitement a D could hide before it found its way out.

"It is encouraging. Their crew is strong. Strong enough for the government to risk acknowledging it." Robin looked over the pictures once more before folding the paper and setting it aside.

"They didn't really give them a choice. My successor leading the revolution reported the entire story to me this morning. They have done a lot more than make a splash. They have the government in a panic. They are trying to do damage control, but it is too late. The world already knows that the Straw Hat Pirates are back, and as strong as before, and the revolution has returned full force. After the defeat of Flint, two more Shichibukai resigned their positions out of fear." Dragon sat in his usual spot, looking over some of the notes his friend had left on the table.

"Really? Was the revolution just waiting for them?" Robin looked to the older man.

"In a way. They were waiting on someone to start some unrest. Something to indicate a little unbalance in the world. Ace and his crew certainly gave them that. They will begin shaking things up now, and that will also give Ace time to build up his crew and gain experience while the government and the marines have their hands full." Dragon laughed quietly. It was like he had planned the entire thing.

"I'm eager to see what they do next. Will your men be reporting on them beyond this point, or will they be too busy?" Robin took one of her books from a nearby shelf and flipped to a marked page, handing it to Dragon, who glance over the page and smiled.

"They'll keep track of them, and report anything major, at least anything the government tries to cover up. I had your letter delivered, by the way. I don't know if they received it yet, but it was definitely there when they arrived." Dragon finished the marked passage and closed the book, returning it.

"I'm sure they won't be able to get away with written communication for much longer. It will be nice seeing the posters and getting reports that they are still alive and causing trouble." Robin smiled, wondering what she would hear about them next.

* * *

"Makino! You've gotta see this!" A man called to the woman at the bar. She looked up and smiled at him. He waved a stack of wanted posters in the air. She walked over quickly and found the one she wanted to see most.

"He's still with them then." She smiled to herself at the proof he was still alive.

"That he is." The voice from the door startled her. She looked up and let her mouth fall open. There in the door way stood the man she had longed to see for over a decade. He had a few more scars than the last time, and his age was just beginning to show in his face and eyes and the way he walked. Despite this, he was still every bit the powerful and dangerous pirate he had always been.

"Shanks!" Makino raced to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulder, holding him tightly in case he were only a dream that could slip away at any moment. His strong arms pulled her tight against him and his legendary red hair ticked her ear as he kissed her shoulder.

"I missed you, Makino." Shanks sounded tired, then. He walked to the bar and took the seat that he had claimed for the past thirty years. "Our son has chosen to follow a dangerous man. I was a little surprised you let him go."

"He's your son. You think I could have stopped him?" Makino laughed at the pirate. "Besides, he has always dreamed of going out to sea and traveling the world and going on adventures. It's in his blood, after all."

"True, I suppose. He's going to go far. I can see that much already." Shanks took a long drink from the bottle Makino handed him, then looked around at the dozen stunned faces, some with food halfway to their mouths. "You know, it's a bit rude to stare." The infamous pirate laughed as the patrons all busied themselves with eating, drinking, and whispering.

"Don't mind them. They weren't expecting you to show up out of nowhere any more than I was." Makino gave him an expectant look.

"I'm sorry. Circumstances changed very recently, and I was able to get away for a while. With the recent uproar, and a new alliance, I had the opportunity to slip away unnoticed. I can't stay as long as I would like, but I was hoping I might be able to stay the night at least. Although, it looks like the inn has closed down..." The Yonko pretended to be thinking over where to stay. Makino smacked him playfully over the head with their son's rolled up poster.

"I'm glad you came back. There wasn't much news from the New World lately. I was afraid you'd finally died falling down the stairs drunk or something. I've been missing you a lot since Roger left..." Makino sighed and set the poster down on the counter.

"It will take more than a little fall down some stairs to kill me, Makino. You don't need to worry. First, the death of a Yonko would make world news, and second, Benn has already promised to deliver the news personally if he has to." Shanks finished his drink and stood up, stretching.

"Go ahead upstairs. I'll be up as soon as I finish the dishes." The woman smiled at the man she had feared she would never see again. She didn't have much time with him, but she would enjoy it while she could.

* * *

"Well, your ship has got them to Loguetown, at least." Iceburg laughed and dodged a halfhearted swing from his business partner.

"Shut it! That ship is my masterpiece! Everything I put into the _Thousand Sunny_, and everything I learned while sailing on it!" Franky grinned as he glanced at the blueprints hanging on the wall. Three in a row. The _Oro Jackson_, the _Thousand Sunny_, and the _Legacy Storm_. Iceburg patted his shoulder.

"Tom would be proud, Franky. Now stop daydreaming about that boat and help me finish the one we're supposed to have done this evening!" Iceburg looked pointedly out the door at the partially constructed ship. Franky sighed and stood up, setting down Ace's wanted poster. Tom's Workers was always busy. But the shipwrights wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

"Olivia's the doctor, isn't she?" Kureha asked. It was a wonder the ancient woman was still alive, but she was in the business of keeping people alive, so it was good advertising. Chopper nodded cheerfully.

"She's the one! One of Robin and Zoro's daughters." The reindeer-man looked through the other posters, stopping when he reached the captain. "Nami was right, he looks just like Luffy."

"Looks like he's just as much trouble, too, judging by that bounty. They're gonna need those supplies you sent." The elderly doctor laughed and tipped back her drink, downing half the large bottle in one go.

"Maybe, maybe not. They might be good enough that they don't get hurt." Chopper grinned proudly. He had been pretty well useless as a doctor for the last few months of their journey. Luffy had become so strong that he could have marched through the gates of hell and dragged back Cerberus by it's tail unharmed.

"We'll see. I'm betting 2,000 beli that one of them has a visible scar on their next bounty poster." The woman held out the money and waved it in front of the younger doctor. He rolled his eyes and pulled out the same amount.

"I'll take that bet. Their next set of posters will be scar-free. And it doesn't matter if it is because they didn't get hurt, or because their doctor is as good as I was." Chopper shook his mentor's hand. "I've got to go. I'm expected by the Alabastra Kingdom soon. Take care of yourself."

"You too, Chopper. See you in the summer." Kureha waved to her friend and student as he left the castle. She enjoyed his annual visits more than anything, even if she never admitted it.

* * *

"Usopp!" Kaya jumped in surprise as the tall man swung in through her window. She never got used to some of his eccentric behavior, but she never complained. He had come back to her in one piece, more handsome than ever, and with stories ten times more unbelievable than his old ones, and many of them true. He had become a brave man of the seas, like he had always dreamed, and then he came back to her.

"Sorry Kaya, I didn't mean to startle you. I was just excited. Luffy's son has a bounty and a crew! They're already at Loguetown!" The sniper sat down on her bed, holding the wanted poster showing Ace. In the picture she could clearly see the pirate carrying a poll that held the flag she had watched this man paint himself.

"They're going to take your flag all across the sea again!" Kaya smiled sweetly at him and joined him on the bed. "I wonder if they will change it any, to make it more personal to them." The doctor leaned her head on Usopp's shoulder.

"That's a great idea!" Usopp leaped up, and was out the window and down the tree in an instant. She shook her head and laughed. He was pretty energetic for his age. She had almost been able to imagine being able to keep up with him if he returned to find her fully recovered, but that hadn't lasted long.

"I wonder what that man is going to do..." Kaya lay back on the bed and smiled at the ceiling. Whatever it would be, he would do it with enthusiasm and pride, and she would be waiting to hear the story when he was done.

* * *

"Captain, we're almost there! We need to make sure everything is locked down!" Kuina called from the upper deck. Ace nodded to her and began calling out to the crew.

"Olivia, raise the sail then lock down the medical wing! Roger, take care of the anchor and the kitchen! Soul, sweep the rest of the rooms and the workshop, make sure nothing is loose! Kuina, double check the navigation room!" Ace brought five ropes to the deck and began to tie one end of each to the mast firmly. "When you're done, come and tie yourselves down! I don't want any of you getting thrown off!"

The crew moved quickly, going through their tasks as if they had practiced them a hundred times. They each knew their responsibilities. When all five where tied firmly to the ship, Kuina looked to the captain.

"This is it. We're about to enter the Grand Line!" The navigator stared up the enormous wall of water that seemed to rush straight up to the sky. Reverse mountain loomed before them, and they felt the current beginning to tug them faster.

"Yosh! Hold on!" Ace extended a hand to her, smiling confidently. She took it without question and was glad for the support when the deck began to slant beneath her feet.

"The current is incredible!" Roger looked around as they rushed up the mountain like a piece of bark on a mighty river. He caught Olivia gently as she lost her footing. She grinned up at him, and he kept his arms around her as the ship accelerated.

They reached the top and were launched several feet into the air. Soul had two dials in his hand. He hit one, and the ship began to turn in mid air, being driven by breath dials. When they were aimed for the single downward current, Soul looked around his nakama and laughed.

"Ready?" The shipwright held his hand over the second dial.

"Ready!" Olivia shouted from Roger's arms, smiling excitedly. Roger nodded his agreement.

"Same here!" Kuina gave the shipwright a smile and squeezed her captain's hand.

"Yosh! Let's go!" Ace called out, fist in the air.

"Alright then, if you're sure, then check out the ship's new Coup De Burst!" Soul grinned and pressed the button. All five pirates were swung to the ends of their ropes as the ship took off beneath them. It dragged them along and blasted down the waterfall so fast that the current seemed to be against them. The pirates all stared in astonishment at the approaching ocean.

They hit the water with a splash and rocked violently as they slowed down from their descent. After several minutes, they rose to their feet, shaking. Soul looked a bit surprised by the power of his improvement.

"Soul, let's save that for emergencies, okay?" Roger looked at the shipwright, who nodded dumbly.

"Wow... That was great!" Olivia sat up and shook her head. "Can we do that again?" Her sister gave her an annoyed shake of the head while Roger helped her to her feet.

"Guy's, we're in the Grand Line!" Ace leaped into the air and then ran to the front of the ship, jumping up to the dragon's head. He looked around excitedly then pointed at one of the capes of the mountain at their back. "Land there!" The others looked and saw a small cottage standing on a green landscape set among the rocky surroundings.

"What is that doing there?" Kuina looked at her map but it only had a picture of a whale.

"There's only one way to find out, especially for pirates! We've gotta check it out for ourselves!" Soul smiled and let his Striker drop to the waves before leaping into it's open spot and taking off for the shore. The navigator sighed and went to set the ship on course to follow him.

Soon the other four reached the shore. The sight that greeted them was one of the strangest they had seen, but far from the strangest they were yet to see. Soul was sitting in a stylish chair and talking to a skeleton.

"Yohohoho! Greetings! It is a pleasure to meet you all! I am Brook, and this is my home. Welcome!" The skeleton stood and bowed low to them before straightening and offering them seats and tea. They all accepted and introduced themselves to the famous musician and Straw Hat pirate.

Brook explained to them how he had come to live there with his old friend Laboon the whale after he had grown tired of the life of a celebrity. They listened to the skeleton recount several of his stories from his time with the Pirate King, as well as play a number of songs for them. It was nearly sun set when a large bird flew down and landed before the reanimated pirate.

"Oh! Mail!" Brook opened paid the bird and took the package, reading the letter. "It seems to all arrived just in time! This package is for you!"

"For us? Who would know to send you a package for us? We didn't even know we would meet you here..." Ace accepted the package and carefully opened it.

"Any of my old crew mates. I told them all where I was going after my retirement. If they knew you were coming here, then they knew you would pass by my home!" Brook explained. Ace nodded and then smiled as he spread out the package.

"It's a new flag!" The young captain held the large black cloth out. In the center, the same skull with it's signature straw hat sat as it always had, but behind it, instead of bones, there were a straight bladed katana and a long scythe crossed in the back ground. The crew all gave their approval.

"I imagine this must be from Usopp then! He was the only artistic member of the crew besides myself, and I'm right here! Yohohoho!" Brook laughed. It had been some time since he had visitors, and he was enjoying himself.

"It's perfect! Now it is really _our_ flag!" Ace carefully handed the flag to Kuina. "Switch it with the old one, and let's hang the old one in the meeting room with the posters."

"I'll take care of it, Captain." Kuina vanished, leaving the others alone.

"That is quite a handy ability. I'll be interested to see what all she can do with it by the end of your journey! Luffy _stretched_ his ability far beyond what people ever imagined before! Yohohoho!" Brook laughed at his joke and the other smiled. He was a very friendly man, after Kuina had nearly beaten his head off for asking to see her panties.

"We think it might be a new type of ability. We're going to try to discover where Devil's Fruit abilities come from." Ace explained part of their adventure to the skeleton.

"I see. I wish you the best of luck! If you are interested, our doctor, Chopper, passed through her a week ago, heading for Alabastra. It will only take two days for your Log Pose to set, if you would like to stay as my guests." The old pirate offered.

"We have an alternative to a Log Pose, thanks to Soul, but we wouldn't mind staying one extra day, as long as you have more stories! And we will be sure to go to Alabastra next. Olivia has always wanted to meet Chopper." Ace smiled at the excited look on his doctor's face.

"I have over a century's worth of stories, and I promise I will not run out in a single night!" Brook said. As Kuina appeared, the group followed the skeleton into his home. The next day, they would be setting out on the Grand Line with their own flag and their own dreams. They had their own ship, and their own crew. The Straw Hat Pirates had been reborn.

* * *

_**So that is it for part one! Good bye East Blue, hello Paradise! I'm marking the story as complete, since the first section is finished. I will be studying for finals and will try to update occasionally over the next two weeks, but my time will be majorly cut down. Please leave me some (signed in) reviews and let me know what you think!**_


End file.
